With the government’s plans to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol cars by the year 2035, the electric car market is gaining momentum across Northern Ireland. Europe is motoring ahead as per usual, with electric sales breaking records in many countries across the continent.
There is the option within the market to buy either a pure electric, plug-in hybrid or hybrid and it seems to be appealing to the masses in the millions across Europe, the future is looking green.
In Northern Ireland there are more than 4,000 electric cars on the roads according to NI Direct’s latest figures. With over 11% of registered cars in the UK recorded as electric cars in 2021, this is a figure Northern Ireland can expect to rise quite dramatically.
Electric cars accounted for 11.6% of all new car registrations in 2021 in the UK, petrol cars holding a 46% share and then diesel, already seemingly on it’s way out with the majority of the cars that make up the market.
What is an electric vehicle?
Electric vehicles are those which are always solely powered by batteries. Unlike hybrids and the classically known diesel and petrol vehicles, there is no regular engine (combustion engine), it runs on an electric motor and a battery that recharges.
How and where do you charge electric vehicles?
Across the UK there are 28,749 electric car charging points, with 337 of these networked across Northern Ireland. The Electricity Supply Board runs these EV charge points – while most people charge their cars at home, these points allow for electric cars to make long distance journeys as well.
Northern Ireland Charging Points Map
Source: Electricity Supply Board
The Electric Range On Types of Electric Cars Northern Ireland:
Fully Electric (EV’s): 100 – 200 miles – powered ully by an electric battery.
Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV’s): 15-30 – A combination of traditional petrol/diesel + electric.
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV’s): Few miles as its electric function is based on energy recovered while braking.
There are predictions out there from experts that diesel and hybrid diesel will be overtaken by electric car sales in 2022. With the huge rise in the sales of electric cars Northern Ireland and further afield the UK, car manufacturers are adapting and bringing to the market affordable electric vehicles.
We will be keeping you up to date with all electric car news as the future unfolds before our eyes, follow our electric series blog for more information.
