Asia is home to the country leading the global transition to electric vehicles (China). It is also home to several countries that are innovatively adapting their transitions to suit their own needs, and a few nations that have not even started their electrification of road transport.

In 1991, California implemented an innovative and ground breaking policy framework. Its ZEV Mandate was designed to accelerate the transition to electric transport.

It has recently been reported that the Chancellor’s pen is poised to strike out the exemption that EV owners currently enjoy from paying vehicle excise duty (aka VED, more commonly known as road tax). As always with tax regulations, this is more complicated than it sounds. There are a range of options available to the Chancellor as he implements this decision.

In comparison to some other jurisdictions, Latin America’s transition to electric transport is seriously lagging. However, it is not all gloomy news; the region is now seeing growth in EV take-up, with 2021 being the first year where serious numbers of new EV registrations were recorded.

After a boost in new van registrations in September, October was a return to gloomier times for the automotive industry. Despite this, the new electric van registrations remained strong - as they have for much of 2022. Electric vans market share doubled compared to October last year, whilst total sales volume also increased.

Despite being one of the lowest emitting regions in the world, the African continent has suffered some of the worst effects of the climate crisis thus far, largely in the form of extreme drought and famine. The global transition to EVs is vital to Africa.

The transition to electric transport is progressing at markedly different speeds across different countries. Australia and New Zealand are testament to this, and are at a very different stage in their journeys than places like Europe or the UK.

6.5 millions electric vehicles were sold globally in 2021, with EVs representing 9% of all new car sales during this period. Despite these respectable global sales figures, the global pace of the transition to electric transport is uneven.

New electric car registrations were solid in October, as the car market grew by 11% overall compared to the same month last year. Although electric’s market share fell slightly year on year, just over 1,500 more electric cars were sold in October 2022 than October 2021.

Van sales in September were higher than in the same month last year, marking a positive month for new vehicle registrations overall.  It was also a good month for electric van sales, with registrations increasing 89% from September 2021.

Misinformation around new, disruptive green technology has long been rife and is often propagated by those who stand to lose the most from the transition to a cleaner economy.

New electric car sales were solid in September, increasing in market share by 2 percentage points compared to the same month last year. New electric registrations also increased in terms of actual sales volume, with 4,765 more EVs being sold in September 2022 than in September 2021.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), June 2022 was the first month that no fossil fuels were imported into the UK from Russia. This is the first time this has happened since the British Government began tracking fossil fuel imports in 2002. No oil, gas, or coal was taken, showing a remarkable drop from the £4.4 billion given to Russia for its fossil fuels exports in the year up to June 2022. This is especially impressive given the fact that fossil fuel prices remain high, and many EU countries are stockpiling fuel in response to the ban, which will come into force at the beginning of 2023 and has thus far had minimal impact on the amount of money coming into Russia from the sales of these fuels.

The UK is not the only country on a journey towards electrification. The nations of Europe are driving ahead with their own transitions. With the Fitfor55 package, which specifies that all cars must emit zero CO2 from their tailpipes, likely to act as a de facto ban on petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles in Europe come 2035, an effective countdown has begun. European countries must now ensure they will be able to transition in such a way that causes minimal disruption to the lives of their citizens. The work done now will likely impact how prepared a country will be for this deadline.

The recent convulsions to energy prices may develop into a serious challenge to the UK’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs). As the country looks ahead to winter, with the risk of European gas shortages looming and a new government scrambling to contain spiralling bills, many people are asking two questions. How will these convulsing energy prices impact consumers considering buying an electric car? And what do they mean for the UK’s transition more broadly?

August was a strong month for electric van sales, with electric accounting for 7% of the market. With new van registrations down a staggering 28% compared to August 2021, it is encouraging that electric vans continue to grow in both market share and total sales volume - the only fuel type to do so.

August saw strong growth in electric car sales. Fully electric vehicles rose from 10% to 14% market share. Electric car sales appear to have grown at the expense of hybrid sales, with consumers increasingly preferring fully electric cars to hybrids.

After unexpectedly passing the lower house a few weeks ago the Inflation Reduction Act has been signed into law by President Biden. This Act is not only a green energy bill, but one that aims to bring down energy costs and increase America’s energy security, all while cutting emission output by around 40% by 2030. The USA has clearly signalled to the world that the response to the global cost of living crisis and the existential threat to energy security posed by Russia and China, should not be to turn back the clock on net zero, but to accelerate it.

The UK’s transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) will continue to require adaptability and innovation from incumbent automotive manufacturers. For those who embrace the transition, the economic opportunities are endless and some manufacturers are already reaping the rewards of the burgeoning market for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). However, not every incumbent manufacturer has embraced the UK’s electric future.

Electric vans accounted for 5% of all new vans sold in July, up from just 3% in the same month last year. Electric vans continue to be the fastest growing market segment, despite the overall number of new van registrations shrinking by 22% compared to July 2021.