Record EV sales fuel concerns over shortage of charging points

Tesla Model Y topped sales charts after Elon Musk cut prices by up to £8,000. Credit: Christian Marquardt/Getty Images

Fears surge as battery chargers run out after Tesla price cuts sent electric vehicle sales to a new record last month.

Battery car sales up 19% year-over-year in March with an unprecedented 46,626 units sold.< /p>

The Tesla Model Y topped the sales list, outperforming all petrol and diesel competitors, according to the Society of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) with sales of 8,123 units.

However, experts are concerned about the number of chargers installed. across the UK has not kept up with sales growth.

Data released by SMMT in February showed that for every 53 electric vehicles sold last year, only one new public charger was built. vehicles under load.

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As of early 2023, there were about 37,000 public charging stations in the country, according to official statistics. The Climate Change Committee has estimated that by 2030, when sales of new non-hybrid petrol and diesel vehicles are banned, 280,000 chargers will be needed to meet demand.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, said: “Best month for zero-emission vehicles reflects increased consumer choice and affordability, but if the ambitions of the EV market – and regulation – are met, infrastructure investment should catch up.”

Tesla slashed Model Y prices to £8,000 at the start of the year due to slowing sales. So far, rivals such as Volkswagen and Kia have resisted significant price cuts for their electric vehicles, giving the company room to grow.

Total new vehicle sales, including petrol and diesel models, are up 18% in the month compared to the previous month. a year ago, signaling an easing of supply chain concerns in the industry.

0104 Electricity infrastructure struggles to keep up

Despite this, with 287,825 sales, the figure is still below the last pre-pandemic figure of March 2019, when around 450,000 vehicles were sold.

Tesla delivers its shipments to the UK in bulk, often on a quarterly basis, which also flatters some of its monthly sales.

The Model Y also topped the sales chart in December, dominating a much smaller sales month when only 128,462 vehicles were sold.

In February, the top seller was Vauxhall Corsa, which finished seventh last month.

March is one of the two so-called new license plate months of the year when the license plate date changes, and as such, it is experiencing a surge in sales.

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SMMT said that despite the government's goals to increase sales of electric vehicles, consumers still need more confidence that they will not run out of power on the road.

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It said: “Models are entering the market in greater numbers, but consumers will only make a choice if if they are sure they can charge anytime, anywhere.”

“Success, therefore, the mandate will depend not only on the availability of the product, but also on infrastructure providers investing in a public charging network across throughout the UK.»

SMMT expects battery-powered cars and plug-in hybrids to sell four this year and nearly one in three next year.

He urged the government to introduce targets for installation of chargers so that drivers can confidently switch to electric vehicles.