New electric forecourts , improvements in battery technology and more political momentum behind renewables mean a transport revolution is well and truly underway
SMART MOBILITY
WRITTEN BY DOMINIC ELLIS
Power up Electric Vehicles
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New electric forecourts , improvements in battery technology and more political momentum behind renewables mean a transport revolution is well and truly underway
T here was not much to celebrate in the automotive industry in 2020 – with electric vehicles being the notable exception . Whether it was Tesla ’ s ongoing expansion , political support for electric from all corners or simply the fact that their visibility increased on roads and forecourts , the year marked a definite turning point for EV distribution and technologies .
Globally , sales of electric cars topped 2.1 million in 2019 , raising the stock to 7.2 million vehicles . UK sales of battery electric cars nearly trebled in 2020 to just under 110,000 , accounting for 6.6 percent of overall sales , while electric and hybrid vehicle registrations surpassed diesel sales for the first time ( 285,000 compared with 261,772 ).
FEBRUARY 2021