Greener on the roads

Fewer cars being bought and electric overtakes diesel

CAR sales suffered a lockdown hit, except for those that were greener but now more needs to be done to capitalise on environmental improvements. In 2020, new purchases of alternative fuel cars (such as electric or hybrid) overtook diesel cars, as overall sales dropped and more cars were declared off the road, according to figures from the Department for Transport.

New registrations of battery electric cars nearly tripled in 2020 (up 184%) to 107,000, compared to 2019, with more registered than in all previous years combined (2001 to 2019 new registrations: 101,000).

However, Friends of the Earth said electric vehicles were only part of the solution and more investment in walking, cycling and public transport was needed.

While some types of vehicles were seeing growing sales, overall registrations were hit by lockdowns.

During the first UK lockdown (from March 23 onwards), vehicle dealerships and showrooms were closed and did not reopen until June. They were then also affected by local restrictions in October to December.

Overall, registrations of new vehicles dropped by 27% in 2020, compared to 2019. Every month except July (which may have seen a bounceback effect after the first lockdown) saw lower numbers registered than the previous year.

While numbers of sales dropped, car usage also fell during lockdown, to a third of normal levels during the first lockdown, and around two-thirds during restrictions in the autumn.

In comparison, levels of cycling more than doubled, and even tripled some weekends.

At the end of December 2020, there were 38.6 million licensed vehicles in Great Britain, a 0.3% decrease compared to December 2019.

Friends of the Earth campaigner, Jenny Bates, said: “Our air has been cleaner, and cycling safer during the pandemic, and that needs to continue as we emerge from this crisis.

“As we transition to a greener future, car journeys will need to be powered by electricity, not diesel or petrol - but that’s only part of the solution. To curb catastrophic climate breakdown, a cut in car miles overall is needed, and declining car sales recently is a good start.

“But right now, our roads are almost as congested as they were pre-pandemic. So until the government abandons plans for road building, invests more in infrastructure for walking and cycling, and makes public transport better and more affordable, we are certainly not in the clear.”