Figures show massive slump in UK sales of new electric cars

clock • 4 min read

Campaigners say 90 per cent drop in 2009 could be due to recession and premium prices – but government subsidy could reverse decline

Sales of new electric cars in the UK plummeted by nearly 90 per cent in 2009 compared with their peak in 2007, according to motoring trade association figures released this week. Just 55 of the green...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Transport

Government advances plans to revamp UK rail and bus services

Government advances plans to revamp UK rail and bus services

Department for Transport unveils initial plans for Great British Railways and confirms £3bn funding boost for UK bus services

clock 09 December 2025 • 5 min read
River Thames welcomes first fully electric ferry service

River Thames welcomes first fully electric ferry service

The Orbit Clipper is to carry up to 150 passengers and 100 bikes across the Thames every 10 minutes between Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe

Stuart Stone
clock 08 December 2025 • 3 min read
'We need to make sustainable commuting the easiest option': Concerns as commuting by bus falls 19 per cent

'We need to make sustainable commuting the easiest option': Concerns as commuting by bus falls 19 per cent

Decline in UK bus commuting follows fare cap increase, but record number of Brits are now travelling to work by EV, Commuter Census finds

Stuart Stone
clock 21 November 2025 • 5 min read