Searches for used Electric and Hybrid vehicles on Exchange and Mart soared 125% in October compared to last year. The highest ever interest in electric powered vehicles for Brits using the long-established UK Motors website. This comes as the UK Government is expected to move the goalposts yet again on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, originally from 2040 to 2035 and now 2030. New registrations of electric vehicles were 144 times higher than last October, The Society of Motors Manufacturers and Traders, reported. Despite new car sales falling last month compared to last year, electric and hybrid vehicles increased 35% and account for over a third of the 141,000 vehicles registered. The highest sales were for Hybrid Electric and Mild Hybrid Electric vehicles. Whilst all Hybrids still have a petrol or diesel engine, a Mild Hybrid use their electric motor to power the vehicle during acceleration and cruising, whereas a Full Hybrid vehicle can travel short distances on electric power only. The most well-known Full Hybrid model is the Toyota Prius, but lots of new models have been added to the market such as the Hyundai IONIQ and Kia e-Niro. Mild Hybrids are like a standard vehicle where you can fuel and go, but with the added assistance of the electric engine reducing the amount of work the engine has to do. They have become popular as you can reduce petrol consumption, while still being able to drive those long journeys without plugging in. New models added to the market include two from Suzuki, the Swift and Ignis, plus the Honda CR-Z. Dawn Sweeney, Managing Director of Exchange and Mart, said “Despite the ban on petrol and diesel vehicles also affecting Hybrids from 2035, most electric new car sales continue to be Hybrid or Mild Hybrid which suggests most car buyers are not quite ready to switch to fully electric. With most new car finance deals lasting between 3 and 4 years and drivers choosing to renew their cars in the approach to the end of their agreement, there is still plenty of time to transition to fully electric as infrastructure and technology further improves.” “Whilst it’s encouraging to see new models being added to the market and searches in the used car market growing, it’s going to be a while before the used market stock catches up, with Electric and Hybrid vehicles currently accounting for less than 2% of used cars on our site. But as the petrol and electric ban is only on the sale of new vehicles, used car buyers shouldn’t panic, they have time to make the switch and will still be able to purchase a used petrol or diesel vehicle long after 2030”. Exchange and Mart have created a guide to electric vehicles. To find out everything you need to know, head to www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/electric-cars-guide