All-electric vehicles (BEVs) have become the UK’s second most popular powertrain in 2022, surpassing diesel cars for the first time, thanks to fleet and business buyers, Kallanish reports.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said on Thursday that during December BEVs hit their largest ever monthly share in the UK new car market at 32.9%. These passenger cars accounted for 16.6% of all new registrations in the entire year, compared to 5.1% for diesel and 42.3% for petrol.

Market share for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) dropped in 2022 to 6.3%, while the share for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) rose to 11.6%. As a result, average new car CO2 fell 6.9% to 111.4 grams/kilograms – the lowest in history.

With such performance, helped by manufacturers’ decisions to prioritise electric car deliveries amid constrained supply, the UK has reclaimed its position as Europe’s second-largest new plug-in car market by volume.

However, the data shows that 66.7% of all new BEV registrations last year came from fleet and business buyers, who still have access to incentives. SMMT warns that to deliver the scale and speed of market transition required to meet climate change targets, action to enthuse more private buyers to go electric is a must.

“Government must help all drivers go electric and compel others to invest more rapidly in nationwide charging infrastructure,” says SMMT ceo Mike Hawes. “Manufacturers’ innovation and commitment have helped EVs become the second most popular car type. However, for a nation aiming for electric mobility leadership, that must be matched with policies and investment that remove consumer uncertainty over switching, not least over where drivers can charge their vehicles.”

Lack of charging infrastructure continue to be a barrier to EV uptake in the country, according to industry and consumers. Instead of “range anxiety,” EV owners have reported “charge rage” during the holiday season, with long queues to recharge their vehicles describing a chaos at charging points.

The government has identified the need for 300,000-720,000 chargepoints in the country by 2030. To meet the lower number, SMMT says over 100 new chargers need to be installed every day. Currently, around 23 are installed daily, it adds.

Other headwinds for EV uptake in the UK include road tax or vehicle excise duty (VED) to new and existing EVs from 2025, and the end of exemption on premium car tax for EVs priced over £40,000 ($47,527). The government has already removed purchase subsidies to private EV buyers.

The SMMT expects a better, yet erratic, semiconductor supply to impact car production throughout 2023.