Sustainability Newsletter – January 2025

Last year more new electric cars were sold than ever before with the Tesla Model Y proving to be the most popular EV. Alongside well-established models, there was an influx of all-new players and most importantly, we started to see models with sub-£25,000 price tags enter the market. Cars such as the Citroën ë-C3, Dacia Spring, Renault 5 and Hyundai Inster, will all help to make electric motoring more attainable, and the trend is set to continue.
This year we are expecting more affordable electric cars to arrive including the Fiat Grande Panda, Volkswagen ID.2All and the closely related Skoda Epiq. Meanwhile, Chinese brand BYD has also suggested it will be bringing its smallest EV – the Seagull – to the UK.

The infrastructure required to support EV uptake is also expanding. Charging point mapping service Zapmap reported a 38 per cent year-on year increase in the number of public charging points with a total of 73,699 now in operation. The installation of ultra-rapid chargers supplying over 150kW of electricity saw a growth of 84 per cent and the number of locations with over six high powered (over 50kW) devices more than doubled.
This is particularly beneficial for those who use their EV for longer journeys, while consumers looking to charge at locations such as hotels, car parks and restaurants now have an extra 12,000 devices to use. However, the availability of on-street chargers for people who are unable to charge at home is mixed depending on your location. 72 per cent of existing on-street chargers are currently concentrated in Greater London, but Zapmap is predicting new government funded projects to start this year which will improve the picture in other areas of the country.

So, the outlook for electric motoring in 2025 has promise. However, it is set to be another challenging year for manufacturers who are now tasked with hitting an electric car sales target of 28 per cent, meanwhile consumers will face higher running costs due to changes to how electric cars are taxed. It’s clear the journey towards more sustainable motoring remains bumpy and change continues to be the only constant for both buyers and the wider industry.

• Sustainability newsletter – December 2024 | Cornish Lithium’s UK sourced raw materials for electric car batteries and its wider role in carbon reduction
• Sustainability newsletter – November 2024 | The Autumn Budget, sales of electric vehicles, sustainable materials and planning for the future • Sustainability newsletter – October 2024 | Road charging for electric cars, UK’s car manufacturers clean up their act and VW explores hemp-based bio interiors • Sustainability newsletter – September 2024 | Road charging for electric cars, UK’s car manufacturers clean up their act and VW explores hemp-based bio interiors • Sustainability newsletter – August 2024 | Is stimulating electric car sales ‘green’ and how improved charging infrastructure is helping with the great summer getaway • Sustainability newsletter – July 2024 | Hidden carbon cost of tech, Volvo pushes for more recycled plastics and Renault secures greener supply chain for EV batteries • Sustainability newsletter – June 2024 | Farewell chrome plating, bravo for Renault’s recycled interiors and a cheer for the … circular economy for recycled tyres