‘Sluggish Summer’: How September’s Surge Reversed a Worrying Trend

The record-breaking electric vehicle sales of September did more than just set a new benchmark; they dramatically reversed the “sluggish summer” trend that had been causing significant concern within the UK’s automotive industry. The powerful surge acted as a much-needed course correction after a period of worrying stagnation.
Throughout the second quarter and into the early summer, the momentum in the EV market had noticeably slowed. A combination of the ongoing cost of living crisis, the absence of a direct consumer subsidy, and general economic uncertainty had led to a plateau in sales growth. For an industry under pressure from the ZEV mandate, this sluggishness was a major problem.
This period of low growth raised fears that the UK’s EV transition was losing steam and that the 28% target for the year was becoming increasingly unattainable. The “sluggish summer” represented a real threat to both the industry’s financial health and the government’s environmental timetable.
The reintroduction of the grant in July was the defibrillator applied to a slowing market. September was the month the market’s heart kicked back into a powerful rhythm. The nearly one-third jump in pure EV sales and the 56% leap in plug-in hybrids completely erased the memory of the summer lull.
This reversal shows just how quickly the market’s fortunes can change based on policy. It has provided the industry with a vital second wind as it heads into the final quarter of the year. The sluggishness of the summer has been replaced by the dynamism of autumn, all thanks to a timely and potent policy intervention.