Hybrid market on the up
Demand for zero and low emission vehicles is outperforming the wider market, new figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has revealed.
While the auto market as a whole grew by 6.3 per cent last, the electric vehicle market was up 48% and demand for plug-in hybrids shot up by 133%.
Figures show that the number of new cars eligible for the government Plug-in Car Grant scheme rose from 14,532 in to 28,188 last year, an increase of 94%. As part of the Plug-in Car scheme, the government promises to contribute up to £5,000 towards the cost of a new electric car.
However, zero or low emissions cars still make up just a fraction of the overall market with 2.6m new vehicle registrations last year. But its share of the market did increase from 2.1 per cent in 2014 to 2.8 per cent last year.
