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Electric vehicle (EV) sales are surging across the UK and Europe, driven by a dramatic rise in petrol prices and the highly anticipated arrival of genuinely affordable models.
According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) latest annual stocktake, battery EV sales rose by more than 25% in the UK last year, maintaining that momentum into the first quarter of 2026.
This growth means one in three new cars on British roads is now battery-powered, allowing the UK market to outpace China, where sales growth slowed to under 20% after Beijing tightened buyers’ subsidies and reintroduced a purchase tax.
This upward trajectory has been supercharged in recent weeks across the continent. Data exclusively shared with Reuters reveals that European EV registrations leapt by 34% year-on-year in April alone, spanning 16 key markets.
The sudden boom is directly linked to an upsurge in international oil prices, which have spiked well above $100 a barrel following US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran at the end of February.
The resulting energy supply disruptions have sent petrol pump prices soaring, transforming consumer calculations. Industry experts note that the conflict has shifted European mindsets from a casual interest in electrification to an immediate financial necessity, resulting in a dramatic rise in search queries and orders for both new and used EVs.
While high fuel costs are pushing drivers away from internal combustion engines (ICE), the market is poised to undergo a further revolution through cheaper on the road costs for EVs.
Yesterday, Škoda officially took the wraps off its highly anticipated Epiq electric city SUV crossover at a major global debut event at the Umwelt Arena in Zurich – an exclusive launch to which Tech Digest was invited.
Starting at a groundbreaking £24,950 on-the-road (OTR), the compact crossover represents the cheapest EV Škoda has ever launched. Crucially, the sub-£25,000 Epiq achieves direct price parity with its conventional ICE stablemate, the Škoda Kamiq, completely eliminating the traditional “EV premium” that has long deterred mainstream buyers.
The arrival of such cost-competitive options comes at a vital time for automakers. In the UK, despite the strong growth, zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) made up just 23% of sales last year, falling short of Energy Secretary Ed Miliband’s 28% net-zero target.
Under current ZEV rules, manufacturers face steep fines of £12,000 per vehicle short of the target, which escalates to 33% this year. The introduction of affordable, mass-market models like the Epiq, alongside existing government subsidies for ZEVs under £37,000, could provide the exact catalyst needed to bridge the gap and sustain Europe’s electric momentum.
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