UK electric car sales basically flatlined last month, with the weakest bump in nearly two years after Rachel Reeves dropped plans for a pay-per-mile tax on battery vehicles. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said registrations crawled up just 3.6% compared to the year before, landing at roughly 40,000 units and missing the government target by a couple of percentage points. Tesla got hammered the worst, with sales tanking almost 20% while Chinese competitor BYD tripled its numbers by pushing hybrids.
Starting in a couple of years, pure electric drivers will get hit with 3 pence per mile while plug-in hybrids pay half that rate. Someone driving the typical annual distance would end up paying around 255 quid instead of basically nothing under current rules.
The trade group warned this could tank demand right when it needs to spike for net-zero goals, and government forecasters think it might kill off nearly half a million sales over the next five years.
Starting in a couple of years, pure electric drivers will get hit with 3 pence per mile while plug-in hybrids pay half that rate. Someone driving the typical annual distance would end up paying around 255 quid instead of basically nothing under current rules.
The trade group warned this could tank demand right when it needs to spike for net-zero goals, and government forecasters think it might kill off nearly half a million sales over the next five years.
