Green Machines | More electric cars hit the road but are they really better for the environment?

The introduction of new number plates helps make September one of the biggest months in the car sales calendar, and this year was no exception. According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) last month saw just under 313,000 new car registrations, which is the best September performance since 2020. As the automotive industry offers a window into the health of the wider economy, these numbers look hopeful.
It’s been a particularly good time for electric cars, which achieved the highest monthly sales volume to date and contributed to approximately 23 per cent of total registrations. The government’s Electric Car Grant has helped make some electric cars more affordable and encouraged substantial discounts on many electric models. However, registrations currently still fall short of the 28 per cent target set out by the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate and private buyers have contributed to fewer than one in four electric car registrations. It’s clear mass adoption of EVs has a way to go yet.

You may ask whether it is really greener to drive an electric car anyway, particularly if not all the energy used to charge them comes from renewable sources? Many studies have concluded electric cars still have lower carbon footprints over their entire lifecycle compared to combustion-powered equivalents, even if fossil fuels make up some of the energy used to power them – check out our electric car facts and figures guide here or read Volvo’s lifecycle analysis in our August newsletter for more on this. In short: EVs are greener and the more renewable energy you use to power them the better.
Which brings us nicely to the positive news about global electricity production. During the first half of 2025 renewable energy became the biggest source of electricity worldwide and overtook coal’s share of production for the first time. According to Ember, a global energy think tank, solar and wind energy were not only able to account for growth in global energy demand but to exceed it and solar alone grew by 31 per cent to contribute to nearly nine per cent of the overall global energy. Meanwhile, there was a very marginal drop in energy generated from fossil fuels. While China and India were able to reduce their use of fossil fuels by producing more clean energy, the US and the EU both increased their dependency on coal and gas. Yet, all four economies still contributed to 64 per cent of the total carbon dioxide emissions caused by energy generation globally, so there’s much more to be done.

Still, credit where credit’s due and China accounted for 55 per cent of the global solar generation increase, but this is not the only area where Chinese enterprise growing. Only a few years ago if you’d been asked about “Build Your Dreams” you might have assumed it was a Disney slogan, yet now Chinese car brand BYD is a household name. BYD’s range of what it calls ‘new energy vehicles’ (that’s electric and plug-in hybrid models to you and me) are clearly getting something right as last month BYD increased its UK sales by a colossal 880 per cent compared to the September last year. BYD now accounts for around two per cent of all new cars registered in 2025 so far. Chinese brands are on a roll with the combined momentum of Omoda, Jaecoo and Chery already contributing a further two per cent of the market. These new brands provide an increasing number of electric models and more choice for the consumer. It is clear change is happening quickly and traditional brands are racing to bring us more electric models to try to keep pace .

• Sustainability newsletter – September 2025 | SUVs in the crosshairs but can BMW’s sustainable new iX3 help counter the stereotype?
• Sustainability newsletter – August 2025 | Volvo talks carbon footprints, Vauxhall campaigns for accessible on-road charging and the SMMT calls for energy grid reform • Sustainability newsletter – July 2025 | Kia helps clean up the oceans, BMW’s natural ‘carbon fibre’ and Volvo commits to using recycled steel • Sustainability newsletter – June 2025 | Reusing old electric car batteries, the antithesis of the Tesla Cybertruck and applications open for Edie’s Net-Zero Awards • Sustainability newsletter – May 2025 | Reducing emissions, creating a circular economy and the King’s Award for Enterprise, but are commercial vehicles being left behind? • Sustainability newsletter – April 2025 | Car brands fined for hiding data on recyclable material in their vehicles and a potential upside to American tariffs • Sustainability newsletter – March 2025 | Climate crisis, policy proposals and big changes at Bentley – is it too late for the car industry to become more sustainable? • Sustainability newsletter – March 2025 | Climate crisis, policy proposals and big changes at Bentley – is it too late for the car industry to become more sustainable? • Sustainability newsletter – February 2025 | Transatlantic divide on sustainability grows, UK charging and battery manufacturing gets a boost and Audi in a muddle • Sustainability newsletter – January 2025 | 2025 looks set to be the year of the affordable EV