EVs pick up after COVID-hit April

Electric and hybrid light vehicle registrations rose 306 in May to 20,643, still struggling to get near pre-COVID increases of around 500 monthly.

But May’s figure is a massive improvement on the total 30 increase in April from March after the pandemic restrictions kicked in.

Used light pure electrics had the biggest increase in the newly released Ministry of Transport

sector registration figures – reaching 11,139, 147 up on April’s 10,992.

New light pure electrics went up 57 (from 4292 in April to 4349 in May), while new light plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) rose by 53 (3143 to 3196).

Used light PHEVs went up 48 – from 1729 in April to 1777 in May.

Heavy EV registrations increased by one to 182.

EV dealerships are expecting increased interest in EVs and PHEVs now that life is returning to near normal, especially with many new models providing increased range arriving.

But most dealerships believe that without government incentives it will be difficult to reach this year’s 32,000 EV target towards achieving 64,000 EVs on our roads by the end of 2021.