SWITCHED ON

As motoring turns electric, we talk new models and debate the pros and cons of public and private charging

- JAMES BATCHELOR

Thousands of drivers have already made the sustainable switch to electric. The latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that one in three new cars registered in the UK in April 2023 were electrified.

The fact of the matter is that sales of electric cars and hybrids have been growing exponentially for quite some time. But EVS, as they're known, have been grabbing the headlines more and more over the past year due to higher fuel prices, the cost-of-living crisis, and pictures of queues of electric cars at charging stations circulating on social media. Electric cars, it would seem, are a noise that isn't going away.

Ironically, it's that lack of noise that's a major turn-on for EV owners. Combine that with efficient home charging options, lower running and maintenance costs (in some cases), and relaxing driving dynamics and it's easy to see why most owners never look back once they've made the switch.

That said, values of used EVs have plummeted every month so far in 2023 and there are major concerns that the UK's network of public charging points isn't keeping pace with sales of new cars fitted with a plug. Is 2023 the year to go electric? Here we explore the world of electric motoring in the UK in more detail.

SUPERCHARGED SALES IN 2022

Let's just step back in time for a moment. Last year was a hugely important one for the electric car. EVs took a major slice of the new car market, with most carmakers prioritising their deliveries over petrol and diesel ones due to component shortages.

By the end of the year, electric cars represented more than 16 per cent of new car sales, placing them ahead of diesels - something that would have been unheard of five years ago. The month of December alone saw 42,284 new EVs hitting the roads - that's 52.6 per cent higher than the same month in 2021.