Sales of passenger vehicles with CO2 emissions lower than 75g/km increased by 386% in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the same period in the previous year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has found.

Registrations of ultra-low emission passenger cars reached an all-time high of 8,573 in Q1 2015. The most popular choice was the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, followed by the Nissan LEAF and BMW i3.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

The SMMT figures also revealed that over 41% of alternatively-fuelled cars registered in this period qualified for the government’s plug-in car grant, up from 13% over the same period in 2014.

In addition there was a 421% year-on-year increase in fleet and business ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) volumes in the first three months of the year. Businesses running commercial vehicles also showed signs of increasing adoption of electric vans, with volumes up 263 units compared to January-March 2014 – a growth rate of 353%.

Hetal Shah, head of Go Ultra Low, a joint initiative by the government and the UK automotive industry, said: "The latest plug-in vehicle uptake figures prove that ultra-low emission cars and vans make sense for both private and business users, especially with the potential for fuel costs as low as 2p a mile and reduced whole life running costs."

All ULEVs are exempt from road tax and congestion charge because of CO2 emissions of less than 75g/km.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The latest registration figures showed that car buyers in the South were the most likely to opt for an ULEV, followed by Londoners and the east of the country. Yorkshire and the North West complete the list of top five regions. The figures also show that car buyers in East Yorkshire are least likely to choose an ultra-low emission option.