EV sales surge in UK as carmakers slash prices to dodge fines

(FILES) A charging connector is pictured charging a vehicle at Gridserve E-charging station for all-electric cars, near Braintree, eastern England on August 8, 2023. (Photo by Justin TALLIS / AFP)

LONDON: Almost one in three new cars registered in the United Kingdom last month were fully electric as automakers keep slashing prices of plug-in models to avoid fines.

Sales of battery-powered models jumped around 60% to nearly 44,000 units in December from a year earlier, according to preliminary data by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).