More than 21,000 ultra low emission vehicles now registered in Nottinghamshire
Tens of thousands of ultra low emission vehicles (ULEV) were registered in Nottinghamshire as of June, recent figures show, as their number increased by more than a third in a year across the UK.
It comes amid Government efforts to make low emission vehicles more accessible for households around the country, including by raising the number of public electric vehicles charge points and making at-home charging easier.
Campaign group Friends of the Earth welcomed the increasing number of ULEVs in the UK but said ‘more must be done’ to ensure equal access to electric vehicles across the country, particularly for low-income households.
According to the Vehicle Certification Agency, ULEVs are defined as having less than 75 grams of CO2 per kilometre from the tail pipe.
They include pure EVs and other plug-in EVs when driven in electric mode.
Figures from the Department for Transport show 21,213 ULEVs were registered in Nottinghamshire at the end of June – up 49 per cent from 14,280 a year earlier.
Of those, 13,889 were battery EVs – also known as 'pure EVs' – 102 were plug-in hybrid EVs powered by diesel, 6,503 were plug-in hybrid EVs powered by petrol and 719 relied on other fuel types.
Across the UK the number of ULEVs increased about 34 per cent in a year, from almost 1.85m in June 2024 to nearly 2.5m in June 2025.
It means around 5.8 per cent of the 42m vehicles registered in the country as of June were ULEVs.
In the East Midlands overall, the figure increased 43 per cent, from 100,654 in June 2024 to 144,314 in June 2025.
Sandra Bell, climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "The increase in EVs is extremely welcome and needs to continue at pace to cut air pollution as well as tackle climate change.
"However, more must be done to ensure the EV rollout is equally accessible across the country, especially for low-income households.
"The steep upfront cost of vehicles and limited charging availability are barriers ministers must urgently address.
"The Government included some measures to help remedy this in its recent climate plan, but more focus must be paid to affordability and the regional difference in charging infrastructure."
Vicky Edmonds, chief executive of EVA England which represents EV drivers, said: "The rising numbers of ULEVs and full battery EVs on the road reflect that drivers are increasingly choosing electric – recognising that these cars can be cheaper and better than their petrol and diesel equivalents.
"With stronger action to support those still struggling with the purchase prices of EVs, particularly on the used EV market, and bolder moves to support those without access to home charging, typically living in denser, urban areas, we should see EVs become the car of choice for many more households."
Reacting to separate figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showing EV sales across the UK hit a record high in October, Heidi Alexander MP (Lab), Transport Secretary, said: "Record-breaking EV sales shows more families than ever have the confidence to go electric.
"Over 30,000 people have saved thousands thanks to our electric car grant and, alongside public charge points hitting 83,000 and more help to install chargers at home, we’re making it easier and cheaper for families to make the switch."