UK manufacturers invest £10.8 billion in EVs since 2011

Industry calls for stakeholders to match its commitment and ‘plug the gap’ between ambition and delivery

UK manufacturers invest £10.8 billion in EVs since 2011

The automotive industry has called for all stakeholders to match its commitment to deliver zero emission mobility, as new analysis by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveals some £10.8 billion has been dedicated to UK electric vehicle production and gigafactories since 2011, with billions more invested globally to bring new technology to market.

In Britain’s first ‘electric decade’, kicked off by a £420 million investment in Sunderland for the UK’s first mass-produced battery electric car, more than 10 vehicle manufacturers have invested in communities across the country to create jobs and to design, engineer and build the cleanest, greenest vehicles for domestic and export markets.

Alongside cars, the UK also produces electric vans, buses and trucks, as established manufacturers and new entrants have invested in production.

The UK electric vehicle market has followed suit, growing rapidly.

Ten years ago, six models of electric car were available, accounting for less than one in 1,000 new car registrations. There are now more than 140 models on the market, with electric vehicles comprising more than one in six new cars and one in 28 vans registered.

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Just one in 80 cars on the road, however, runs on electricity, with the UK aiming for one in three by 2030 if net zero ambitions are to be met.

The challenges are examined in Plugging the Gap, SMMT’s updated blueprint for delivering the zero emission transition.

Private motorists accounted for just a third of new plug-in registrations in 2021, with uptake far higher among businesses and fleets, which benefit from generous fiscal incentives.

Conversely, purchase incentives have been rolled back dramatically over the past year, with the UK’s EV adoption now falling behind some European markets which offer more attractive incentive packages.

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Research by SMMT reveals that the ratio of public standard chargers to electric vehicles has rapidly deteriorated, with just one charger for every 32 plug-ins across the UK compared with one for every 16 just 12 months ago, and significant regional variations.

The industry is calling on all parties integral to the drive to zero, including chargepoint operators and government, to help ‘plug the gap’ between infrastructure rollout and uptake.

For the UK to become a location of choice for potential investors, the SMMT says the government must create the right conditions, with a streamlined process for obtaining the necessary permits and licences, easy access to skilled and productive labour, and competitively priced clean energy.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “The UK automotive industry has set out its intent – to meet the challenge of net zero – and has backed that ambition with cash, investing massively during Britain’s first electric decade.

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“As we enter the second, the stakes are higher, with some of the world’s toughest regulation coming, regulation that will seek to determine the pace of change in a market constantly buffeted by headwinds.

“But mandates on manufacturers alone will not drive the market. Delivering net zero needs a competitive industry and a competitive market.

“We need a holistic strategy with binding targets on chargepoint provision, attractive fiscal and purchase incentives, and a reliable, accessible and affordable user experience.

“We need a universal right to charge electric vehicles, for all drivers, wherever they live, wherever they travel and whatever their needs.”

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