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UK Electric Car Adoption Accelerates as Prices Fall and Used Sales Hit Records

Cheaper models, new incentives plus a growing charging network are drawing mainstream buyers.

Overview

  • UK sales set new highs last year with 473,348 new EVs sold, up 23.9%, and a record 274,815 used EV transactions, up 45.7%.
  • Affordability is improving in the second‑hand market, with EVUK reporting two in five used EVs under £20,000 and some below £5,000, while The Times highlights options starting near £1,500.
  • Choice has widened to more than 150 models as imports from Xpeng, BYD and Chery expand showrooms and revived nameplates such as the Ford Capri and Renault 5 return as battery models.
  • Manufacturers are sweetening deals, including a Renault 5 E‑Tech from £21,495 with a £1,500 grant and Ford’s Puma Gen‑E with a £3,750 grant plus a ‘Power Promise’ of a home wallbox with installation, free charging for the first 10,000 miles and a five‑year service plan.
  • Running costs undercut petrol for many owners, with EVUK estimating up to about £1,400 a year in savings on off‑peak tariffs and the UK now hosting over 87,000 public chargers with new units added roughly every 35 minutes.