Charged up: What needs to be done to get more Scots into battery electric vehicles

New car sales motored ahead in Scotland last year but industry bosses say more needs to be done to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles over the coming months.

The Scottish Motor Trade Association (SMTA) said new car sales north of the Border grew by 3 per cent for the year to December 2024, compared with 2023, and ahead of a UK average of 2.6 per cent. Almost every region across Scotland improved their sales output during 2024, with Dumfries and Galloway and Fife leading the way at 9.4 per cent and 9.3 per cent respectively.

However, the SMTA said the outlook for 2025 is looking less optimistic and the drive towards the UK’s zero-emission vehicle mandate will only be reached if the UK government addresses the challenges faced to meet its targets.

The industry faces a challenge increasing the sales mix of battery electric vehicles amid muted consumer take-up.

The organisation’s chief executive, Alan Gall, said: “There is no doubt we faced some challenges in the industry through 2024, not least of which the ongoing drive toward the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandated sales mix of electric vehicles, supply issues and latterly the car financing regulations. Considering this, the fact the market has grown in Scotland by 3 per cent against 2023 shows Scotland has managed to more than hold its own.

“The biggest concern we have is increasing the sales mix of battery electric vehicles (BEV). There is a disconnect between consumer demand and the ZEV targets meaning that consumers will choose not to buy, rather than buy a product they do not want. Without significant government incentives in both the pricing of BEV vehicles, massive investment in the charging infrastructure and rationalisation of charging costs it is hard to see a benefit for consumers to buy a BEV product,” he added.

Gall said the motor industry, like other areas of the UK economy, was enduring “financial headwinds” and those were increasing the pressure on private buyers and business alike. “Expected low levels of new car stock availability coupled with interest rates remaining at significantly higher levels are strong concerns for 2025,” added the SMTA boss.

The latest figures, which are supplied by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), show that, in terms of car brands, Volkswagen replaced Vauxhall as Scotland’s best-selling marque, accounting for 9 per cent of overall sales. Vauxhall moved to second place at 7.35 per cent while Kia shifted from fifth in 2023 to take the third spot. The Vauxhall Corsa, meanwhile, remained the best-selling car in 2024, followed by Kia’s Sportage in second place and the Ford Puma in third position.

The figures came as new research from Volkswagen Financial Services UK revealed that one in four drivers has skipped essential car servicing in the past year due to financial pressures. Nearly one in five expect to do so again this year. The study found that younger drivers, aged between 24 and 34, are more likely (38 per cent) to skip getting their car serviced due to cost pressures. This compares to just 14 per cent of those aged 65 and over.

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