In July, one electric car was sold every 60 seconds after price cuts.

Tesla has repeatedly cut prices this year in an attempt to boost sales. Photo: POOL/via REUTERS

Sold one electric car every 60 seconds in July after automakers cut prices to attract cash-strapped drivers, industry data shows.

Data from the Society of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that battery-powered vehicle sales increased 88% year-on-year last month, with deliveries reaching 23,000.

This came after manufacturers such as Elon Musk's Tesla cut prices.

SMMT welcomed the rise in electric vehicle sales, but said «consumers should be given every possible incentive to buy» as it urged the government to expand infrastructure.

He also warned that his forecast for total sales next year was cut by 0.7% as households struggled with rising living costs.

In the UK, there is growing concern about the lack of charging options for battery-powered vehicles, especially for long-haul drivers.

Last year, for every 53 electric vehicles sold, there was only one new public charger.

0104 Electric vehicle infrastructure struggles to keep up

Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, said: “The government must use all leverage to make buying, operating and especially charging electric vehicles affordable and practical for every driver in every country. part of the country.”

Data released by SMMT in February showed that 368,617 plug-in cars were registered in the UK last year, while only 6,949 standard chargers were installed.

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This shortage sparked debate over Rishi Sunak's plan to ban the sale of electric vehicles. new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.

The policy was recently opposed by conservative supporters in a new poll, as only 15% of members of the Conservative Party believe the government was right to push for a ban.

Jamie Hamilton, Automotive Partner and Head of Electric Vehicles at Deloitte, said the lack of charging infrastructure “still remains a real challenge for people.”

“To further integrate electric vehicles into everyday Charging points are still needed,” he said.

Growing demand

The latest SMMT data also showed a 29% jump in vehicle sales across the board, driven by a decline in global parts shortages.

However, the 1.1 million vehicles sold this year are still far behind the 1.4 million vehicles sold during the same period in 2019.

Much of the growth in sales of battery-powered vehicles is due to corporate buyers acquiring them as company vehicles, aided by tax incentives.

Richard Peberdie, Head of Automotive at KPMG UK, said: “Significant growth in the market is driven by fleet and company vehicle purchases (firms) that have previously struggled to find supplies due to supply disruptions due to the pandemic.

«EVs are a key part of the growth in purchasing in this business, helped by low income taxes and write-off incentives.»

One of the factors limiting the deployment of battery-powered vehicle chargers , is access to the mains.

Charging companies have complained to SMMT about slow progress in gaining access, while faster chargers also take longer. pressure on the grid as they require fast bursts of power

Earlier this week, BMW warned investors that it was incurring higher development costs for electric vehicles, which sent its stock down more than 6%.

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The automaker also reported lower profit margins for the three months to the end of June as spares stock up.

In contrast, Toyota sales rose nearly a quarter a few days ago, supported by strong demand during the first three months of the year.

The world's largest manufacturer also confirmed that it will accelerate plans to launch electric vehicles in China amid fierce competition from domestic manufacturers.

He will step up efforts by developing new parts for electric models and creating high-tech interiors for Chinese buyers.