Sales of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) including electric models rose significantly during the first quarter of 2016, reports AM Online.
New registrations for AFVs in the UK increased by 23.7 per cent, according to a recent Europe-wide report published by the ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association). Across Europe, there was a rise of 6.4 per cent, suggesting that UK motorists are ahead of the curve in accepting new technology and greener fuels.
Electric vehicle (EV) registrations in the UK performed the best — rising by 26.8 per cent — while battery (33.9 per cent) and plug-in electric vehicles (23.5 per cent) also increased significantly.
If you’re thinking of plugging into the electric car market, be sure to check you have adequate levels of insurance to cover your new stock. As well as your general motor trade insurance and road risks insurance, you may also want to consider upgrading to a combined motor trade insurance policy, which protects the facilities as well as the contents of your site.
Sue Robinson, the director of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), said that she was particularly “pleased to see that the UK is playing a key role in this segment of the market.”
Across Europe, Spain saw the largest rise in AFV registrations at 51.9 per cent. Spain was followed by France (a rise of 28.7 per cent), the UK and Germany (a rise of 13.0 per cent).
Sue Robinson also added that it was “encouraging to see that the AFVs registrations in the UK saw a double-digit growth — recording one of the best performances amongst the largest European markets.”
