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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Jasper Jolly

Record number of electric cars were sold in UK during 2024

The Mini Cooper Electric on the production line at the BMW Mini plant in Oxford.
The Mini Cooper Electric on the production line at the BMW Mini plant in Oxford. The number of new cars sold in the UK rose by 2.6% in 2024 to 1.95m. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PA

Carmakers sold a record number of electric cars in the UK last year, prompting environmental groups to urge the government to stick to tougher green targets even as the industry argues they are unsustainable.

The number of new cars sold in the UK rose by 2.6% in 2024 to 1.95m, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) lobby group. Of those, 19.6% were electric, up from 16.5% a year earlier.

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