Howden Insurance has shared a list of the top 10 most popular electric and hybrid cars as more people make the switch from more conventional petrol and diesel models.
Using data from January to September 2023, the company found that over 8.9 million electric and hybrid cars were registered on the UK roads, accounting for 6.3 percent of the overall new car market.
A spokesperson from Howden Insurance noted that the perception many drivers have about electric vehicles is changing as they become more capable.
They explained: “Battery electric cars are generally perceived as city cars since there is a limit to how far you can go before having to find a charging station. However, this is naturally changing as the infrastructure for it develops outside urban areas, in line with adoption rates of electric cars.
“At the moment, if you manage the upfront costs, electric cars are much cheaper to run but more expensive to insure compared to those on a conventional internal combustion engine. This is on track to change as more drivers switch to electric.”
According to the Howden Insurance, the best-selling choice for a clean new car is the Toyota Yaris, with 518,500 sold in the UK during the first three quarters of 2023.
Toyota’s smallest model, the current generation of the Yaris has been on sale since 2020 and offers a choice of two hybrid powertrains.
Whilst there are no current plans to introduce a fully electric version, the Toyota Yaris has recently been given a facelift, now featuring more technology and an increase in power.
In all, Toyota were the best-selling brand for electric and hybrid vehicles during the first nine months of 2023, with six models featuring in the top 10.
Other popular choices made by the company include the Prius family hatchback, the CH-R crossover and the Corolla, a mainstay in the brand’s range since the 1960s.
However, the best-selling car offered only as an electric vehicle was the Tesla Model 3, with the Elon Musk-owned brand selling 273,622 between January and September 2023.
