Transparency data

Number of newly registered ultra low emissions vehicles

DfT business plan.

Documents

Number of newly registered ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs): UK Impact indicator, published quarterly

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Number of newly registered ultra-low emission vehicles: UK Impact indicator, published annually

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email webmasterdft@dft.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

Department for Transport (DfT) business plan

Geographical coverage: United Kingdom

Information broken down by: Data available by local authority on request, published quarterly.

Latest data

In the second quarter of 2015 (April to June), 6,527 new ultra-low emission vehicles were registered for the first time in the UK.

Quarter New UK registrations of ultra-low emission vehicles
2014 April to June 2,746
2015 April to June 6,527
Percentage change +138%

The 6,527 ultra-low emission vehicles registered for the first time in quarter 2 2015 represents an increase of 138% from the figure of 2,746 in the same quarter of the previous year. Most of these vehicles use electric engines, so the Plug-In Car and Plug-In Van Grants introduced by the Department for Transport in January 2011 and February 2012 respectively, and an increase in the supply of electric and plug-in hybrid cars to the UK market will have contributed to this increase. A number of new models came onto the market in 2014.

Background information

The Department for Transport uses the term ‘ultra-low emission vehicles’ to refer to vehicles with significantly lower levels of tailpipe emissions than conventional vehicles. In practice, the term currently refers to electric, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Vehicles that use non-fossil fuel propulsion have zero tailpipe emissions. For other propulsion types, only vehicles with tailpipe emissions below 75 grams per kilometre are included. The figures are produced from DVLA’s new registration system and only vehicles being registered in Great Britain or Northern Ireland for the first time are included.

There is a high level of seasonal variation in new vehicle registrations (for example higher sales when registration plates change in September and April), therefore it is misleading to compare data for consecutive quarters. Comparisons should be made with the same quarter of previous years

Publishing schedule: quarterly
Last updated: 13 August 2015
Next update: November 2015

Vehicle statistics

Further information

Business plan 2012 to 2015
Input and impact indicators
Analyst contact: Jeremy Grove, Vehicles statistics, 020 7944 3077

Published 12 September 2013
Last updated 15 July 2015 + show all updates
  1. Figures updated to show the latest quarterly data for January to March 2015.

  2. Indicator and table updated to the latest quarterly data.

  3. Figures updated to show the latest quarterly data for April to June 2014.

  4. First published.