By the end of December 2022, there were 40.7 million vehicles on the road in the United Kingdom. The SMMT, which stands for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, is the subject of this text. Reported 35,148,045 cars, 4,887,593 vans, 72,766 buses, and 615,570 trucks in every 32 vehicles in the United Kingdom comes with a plug, with 1.1 million electric cars now in use. 3.1% of the UK car fleet is now either full battery-electric or plug-in hybrid. SMMT says 1.2% are plug-in hybrids, and 1.9% are fully battery-electric.
Here are the most popular car segments in the UK. Super-minis and small family (lower medium) models account for around 6 in 10 cars in service at 11,620,116 and 9,214,039 units, respectively. Some examples of popular UK cars are Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Ford Focus and VW Golf. We need more battery-electric options for this market in this super-mini and small family model vehicle segment.
As discussed in a recent article, we’re seeing more EV options across different vehicle segments, and we’ll soon have electric cars in every detail. However, as of today, these BEVs may only be available in some significant markets worldwide but only in select markets. However, having electric vehicles across all segments will always be essential, increasing their availability from there. Making them available in more markets worldwide will be the next step after OEMs build capacity to scale up production to satisfy both local and export markets. As OEMs ramp production and supply chain constraints loosen, these EVs will become more widely available in more countries shortly.
But when do we get to that next step? A look at the comment section of that article highlights some critical points and why we need to get to the next step as soon as possible.
Here are some of our readers’ comments:
Bviktor said: “Every category except one of affordable. No, a $40k car isn’t affordable; $ 10k is.”
Michael said: “As a proud owner of a Mazda 5 who *prefers*I am looking for a vehicle that is simple to load/unload and doesn’t have a hefty price tag (or require advanced technology to operate the door). This is strange, and it seems like “every segment” doesn’t include MPVs/minivans.
LeBero said: “The article is based in America, but the dominant market is China, and the Shanghai Auto Show showcases innovative technologies in Asia. The huge domestic market of 4 billion people develops these technologies. Promoting large, powerless, inefficient vehicles like giant, gigantic pickups for millionaires and SUVs is counterproductive. The battery of such a giant car is enough for about 20 rulings. Total waste of energy that should conserve.”
The previous remarks and the composition of the vehicles in the UK fleet, which leans towards smaller and cost-effective family cars, underscore the pressing demand for additional electric vehicles in these categories. For this article, and particularly given the dominance of small cars in the UK fleet, we will focus on these miniature vehicles. Super-minis and small family (lower medium) models comprise over 20.8 million UK’s 35 million cars. It’s 59%!
I pay close attention to the development of places like India and China. While India still needs to catch up in production volume and the number of models available, some exciting, affordable small EVs are coming to India, with TATA leading the way. The $10,000 TATA Tiago is a big hit in India, a vehicle in a segment people have been crying out for. Although TATA will first have to meet the local demand for such cars, there is a significant opportunity to meet the growing demand for affordable EVs in markets like the UK that prefer small cars. As Bviktor says, at $10,000, it’s a cheaper car, not the $40,000 and up big crossovers that have more BEV options in many markets right now.
China is well ahead of the transition and presents the best opportunity for us to get affordable small cars into more markets worldwide. It’s better to act sooner than later. China has some exciting small EVs, such as the BYD Seagull. (soon to be released in China), the Leap Motor T03 (already exported to Israel), and the all-new Wuling Bingo. When launched in countries like the UK, these models will make a big difference in one of the most popular vehicle segments among consumers.
BYD is bringing the bigger BYD Dolphin with a 60 kWh battery is now available in the UK and Europe—a hugely successful MG4 from SAIC Motors. The MG4 is a game-changing EV in the UK, with prices close to the popular ICE cars. The MG 4, an all-electric vehicle, belongs to the hatchback segment and is priced similarly to other cars. Entry-level VW Golf models. This significant development in the EV sector aims to catalyze electric vehicle adoption.
UK customers will soon have the MG4 and the 60 kWh BYD Dolphin in the small hatchback market, with the ICE VW Golf and Ford Focus being the current favourites. Perhaps BYD should also bring out a 30 kWh or 45 kWh BYD Dolphin, smaller than the 60 kWh it’s starting with, to give consumers a decent EV in a class closer to the likes of the VW Polo and the like. The Ford Fiesta 30 kWh Dolphin will likely cost much less than the rumoured £26,538 (€30,000) bigger 60 kWh version. This market would require Volkswagen to introduce smaller and more affordable versions of their electric cars, like an ID.2 and ID.1, to complement the existing ID.3.
The electric vehicle market has made significant progress over time. From when there were only large electric SUVs and sedans from $80,000 and a few small cars like the first-generation Nissan Leaf. Still, we need smaller and much more affordable £17,691 (€20,000 ) ) and the following EV types in the small vehicle segment.
