THE number of electric vehicles in Brighton and Hove surged last year, figures show.

Data from the Department for Transport show 939 ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) were licensed in the city at the end of last year – up from 621 at the end of 2019.

The figures include battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and fuel cell electric vehicles.

Of the 318 new ULEVs, 237 were registered to private keepers, while 81 were registered to business addresses.

Overall, ULEVs still only accounted for about 0.8 per cent of all vehicles licensed in Brighton and Hove at the end of 2020 – just below the UK average of 1.1 per cent.

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Across the UK, around 431,600 ULEVs were licensed at the end of 2020 – an increase of 162,300 over the year.

The majority of the spike – around 101,800 – were company-registered.

The government has committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, and ensuring all new sales are “zero emissions at the tailpipe” by 2035.

In the DfT figures, a ULEV is defined as a vehicle with reported tailpipe CO2 emissions of fewer than 75 grams per kilometre, which means not all of them would meet this new requirement.

In Brighton and Hove, 529 of the ULEVs licensed at the end of the year were battery electric vehicles – defined as zero emission.

A further 358 were plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, which combine an electric motor with a petrol or diesel engine.

Brighton and Hove City Council installed more than 200 lamppost chargers in the city last summer.

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In March, the government cut grants for electric car buyers from £3,000 to £2,500 and lowered the cap of eligible cars to £35,000, down from £50,000.

But the Labour Party says more needs to be done more to make eco-friendly cars more affordable for families across the UK.

Kerry McCarthy, Labour's shadow minister for green transport said: "With the climate emergency worsening, increases in electric vehicle sales are always welcome.

"However, rather than encouraging this trend, the Government seems to be doing all it can to stifle progress by slashing subsidies to electric vehicles and failing to set out a roadmap to smoothly transition away from petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.

“We need to see a clear, long-term vision from the Government to support the British car industry, as well as action to support electric vehicle sales, making them affordable to families and rolling out adequate charging infrastructure."

Transport Minister Rachel Maclean said more alternative fuel cars were registered across Britain for the first time last year, although this includes some types of hybrid vehicles not classed as ULEVs.

She said: “This is proof that more people are moving away from diesel cars, as we build back greener and clean up the air in our towns and cities.

“With £2.8 billion of government support to encourage their take-up, there has never been a better time to switch to an electric vehicle.”