Skip to main content

London EV demand ‘rising’ since ULEZ intro, says Carwow

Demand for electric vehicles (EVs) has increased 123% in London since the introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), says Carwow. Using data from its website, the car-buying platform found that searches for EVs also increased 56% in the rest of the UK Enquiries for alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) increased 77% in the UK capital and 44% in the rest of the country. Carwow says there has been a 56% year on year increase in searches for hybrid vehicles since May 2018, with a further 92% incre
June 19, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Demand for electric vehicles (EVs) has increased 123% in London since the introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), says Carwow.

Using data from its website, the car-buying platform found that searches for EVs also increased 56% in the rest of the UK

Enquiries for alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) increased 77% in the UK capital and 44% in the rest of the country.

Carwow says there has been a 56% year on year increase in searches for hybrid vehicles since May 2018, with a further 92% increase in EV quotes on its website.

Since the start of 2019, the most searched for AFV has been the 1686 Toyota RAV4 hybrid vehicle, followed by the Toyota C-HR Hybrid model and the 838 Nissan Leaf electric car.

According to a poll carried out by ULEV, six out of ten Brits are aware of ULEVs. Nearly 70% of people agree that the zone is a good measure while more than a quarter remain unsure and 4% do not agree

Despite 90% of Londoners saying they are environmentally conscious, less than a third are planning to purchase an AFV in the near future, followed by just 18% of those living in the rest of the UK.  

Mat Watson, editorial director at Carwow, says: “Whilst British people consider themselves environmentally conscious in principle, it’s the personal financial impact of the fines that is proving a key driver for changing their minds.”

Watson warns there is a difference between intention to buy and buying, insisting that more needs to be done to reassure drivers that EVs are “the right environmental choice” and have the same capability as a “petrol and diesel cars”.

Related Content

  • March 19, 2019
    Passport roundtable examines London’s kerb space priorities
    UK congestion is getting worse, in part due to the influx of deliveries coming into cities. At a roundtable discussion in London, software provider Passport examined new ways in which local authorities can work together to better manage the kerb. Ben Spencer listens in Competition for kerb space is one of the major conundrums of modern urban mobility. Some authorities are being creative about it, but good practice is not widespread. “There are individual pockets of good work going on with cities who a
  • May 16, 2018
    ACE report: private sector and user-pay for English roads
    It’s one minute to midnight for funding England’s roads, according to a timely new report - and the clock’s big hand is pointing to some form of user-pay solution, reports David Arminas. Is there any way out of future user-pay funding for England’s highway infrastructure? The answer is a resounding ‘no’, according to the recently-published report Funding Roads for the Future. The 25-page document by the London-based Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) calls for a radical rethink about how to
  • October 2, 2018
    Shock therapy: jolt for EV charging needed
    As sales of electric vehicles accelerate, the growth of charging infrastructure is in need of a big boost. Graham Anderson reports on whether Europe is up to it. Utilities, technology companies and vehicle manufacturers are battling to put in place new charging networks for electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe in response to a predicted dramatic surge in demand. Market experts believe that rapidly falling battery costs – which make up about one third of the costs of an electric car – and growing
  • November 23, 2017
    Autumn budget: EV charging infrastructure fund and higher tax rates for diesel vehicles
    Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has announced a £400m ($532m) charging infrastructure fund for electric vehicles (EVs), an extra £100m ($133m) investment in Plug-In-Car Grant, and a £40m ($53m) in charging R&D in the UK’s Autumn Budget 2017. He added that laws need to be clarified so that motorists who charge their EVs at work will not face a benefit-in-kind charge from next year.