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”.

Parking & Access Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • ITS homes in on cycling safety
    April 9, 2014
    A new generation of ITS equipment is helping road authorities get to grips with cycle safety – and not a moment too soon as Colin Sowman discovers. Cyclists - remember them? Apparently not. At least not according to the OECD 2013 report Cycling, Health and Safety which contains the statement: ‘Cyclists are often forgotten in the design of the road traffic system’. Looking through the statistics that exist (each country appears to compile them differently) it is not difficult to see how such a conclusion cou
    Read More
  • Venkat Sumantran: ‘Smart cities are more hype than reality’
    November 23, 2018
    For all the talk of smart cities, investment in systems lags significantly behind organic expansion in most places. Andrew Stone talks to Venkat Sumantran, who has been looking at how to create a coherent framework which could help authorities answer multiple mobility questions Two megatrends are posing unprecedented challenges to those trying to keep people moving around the world’s urban areas now - and in the years and decades to come. The first is rapid urbanisation. One in six of us lived in urban a
    Read More
  • TISPOL conference sheds new light on VRUs
    June 2, 2016
    Geoff Hadwick reports on TISPOL’s efforts to protect vulnerable road users. At its annual conference in Manchester, TISPOL, the pan-European roads police organisation, called for the better protection of vulnerable road users. The statistics show a worrying trend as, since the turn of the century began, it is only the passenger car sector that is reducing its share of the overall EU fatality stats. Cyclists, motorcyclists and the elderly are all continuing to see their share of the figures worsen.
    Read More
  • Uber ‘running at a loss’
    August 7, 2015
    Leaked financial reports appear to indicate that car-share firm Uber is operating at a loss. According to internal financial documents obtained by the Gawker website (link http://gawker.com/here-are-the-internal-documents-that-prove-uber-is-a-mo-1704234157), Uber has lost tens of millions of dollars since 2012, and the documents suggest that CEO Travis Kalanick’s boasts about the company’s exponential revenue growth may be overblown. Gawker published images of the leaked documents online; an unaudited re
    Read More

Highlighted Content