In a significant first for the automotive sector, electric vehicles outsold diesel cars for the first time in 2022 as fleets increasingly turned electric.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), battery electric vehicles ended 2022 with a 16.6% market share compared with a diesel share of just 9.6%.
As if to reinforce the point, December’s best-selling car was the all-electric Tesla Model Y followed by the Tesla Model 3. Also in the top 10 was the Nissan Leaf at number nine. In December alone, electric vehicles took 33% of the total market.
This growth in electric vehicles has been driven by the fleet market as companies take advantage of the lower whole life costs of electric cars and drivers enjoy the benefit of benign company car taxation.
In total, fleets and business buyers were responsible for the majority of battery electric vehicles (BEV), accounting for two thirds (66.7%) of all BEV registrations and 74.7% of the volume gain in 2022.
In addition, plug-in hybrid models also managed over 6% market share.
Commenting on the market – which slipped to just 1.61 million units – Managing Director of CBVC Vehicle Management, Mike Manners, said:
The significant growth in electric vehicles, particularly in the fleet sector, is really welcome. Growth could have been better, of course, had supply not been so constrained. But we are anticipating significant further EV inroads to be made in 2023 as more vehicles enter the market and fleet decarbonisation continues.
For help with decarbonising your fleet, talk to one of our fleet leasing consultants on 01283 351200or email: Sales@cbvc.co.uk.
The top 10 best-selling electric vehicles 2022
1 Tesla Model Y – 35,551
2 Tesla Model 3 – 19,071
3 Kia e-Niro – 11,197
4 Volkswagen ID.3 – 9,832
5 Nissan Leaf – 9,178
6 MINI – 7,425
7 Polestar 2 – 7,345
8 MG 5 – 7,030
9 BMW i4 – 6,699
10 Audi Q4 e-tron – 6,594
Source: SMMT
