Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV leads strong rise in ULEV sales

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is the UK’s favourite ULEV buy as new figures show new car sales rising in May by 2.4%, but ULEV sales rise four-fold.

We’ve become used to new car sales (really, new car registrations) rising inexorably in the last few years, and May 2015 sales are no different – they’re up by 2.4 per cent on 2014 – although numbers do seem to be levelling off.

But where sales are rising strongly is with Ultra Low Emission Vehicles( ULEV) as buyers, and particularly business buyers, can’t ignore the tax breaks on offer.

That one fact alone has seen sales of ULEV rise 11,842 so far in 2015 – a four-fold rise on 2014 – and the biggest winner by far hasn’t been the green brigade’s long time favourite – the Nissan LEAF – but the new kid on the block – the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

The Outlander PHEV out-sold all its rivals by three to one in May – helped no doubt by more Outlander PHEV models –  and Outlander sales have accounted for more than half of all ULEV sales in 2015 so far.

Mike Hawes, SMMT boss, said:

The remarkable growth in demand for plug-in vehicles is expected to continue as the range of ultra-low emission vehicles on sale increases. Meanwhile, we anticipate a natural levelling out of the overall new car market throughout the remainder of 2015.

With 198,706 new cars registered in May 2015 alone, a figure for ULEVs of 11,842 in the year to date isn’t that significant in number, but it is significant in terms of trend and growth, and as long as the tax breaks stay in place sales of ULEVs are going to continue to grow very strongly.