Leading alternative fuel car models in the UK by new registrations 2021

In 2021, the Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling alternatively fueled vehicle in the United Kingdom. Close to 34,800 units were newly registered. However, Toyota was by far the most popular choice for car owners in the country. Of the leading ten entries, four were manufactured by the Japanese automobile giant.
This seems unsurprising, given that the Toyota Motor Company was the first car producer to include hybrid models in their line-up and claim to have since sold some 2.5 million hybrid cars in Europe. As of 2021, it was the second most valuable brand within the automotive sector, behind Tesla.

Toyota Yaris sales

The Toyota Yaris was launched in 1999, with its fourth generation beginning sales in 2020. It was originally fitted with a petrol engine, with the full hybrid line becoming available in 2012. Sales in Great Britain were particularly strong following the release of its first generation, with a peak of 36,600 units newly registered in 2003. Following the release of the full hybrid line, sales increased again until 2015, before declining between 2016 and 2018. In 2022, a Yaris Hybrid-based Mazda2 Hybrid model started selling in Europe.

BEV and PHEV performance in the UK

In recent years, sales of battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) grew noticeably. Between the first quarter of 2014 and the second quarter of 2019, figures increased over seven-fold, reaching 13,809 in sales volume in the latter quarter. However, despite this positive trend, the second quarter of 2019 was the weakest since late 2017.