Electric car owners urged to make use of free charging offer as drivers celebrate 'ambitious' project

The latest Road to 2035 report from Auto Trader has highlighted that the sale of new electric vehicles continues to rise, although growth has slowed since 2022.

It has been suggested that this is down to waning consumer demand for EVs and slowing growth through leasing and other fleet channels.

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Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows how the market share of EVs has exploded from just one per cent in 2019 to 16.8 per cent just five years later.

However, Auto Trader warned that the UK will not hit Zero Emission Vehicle mandate targets unless 34 per cent of people who are considering an EV choose these cars when they next change.

By the end of the year, manufacturers will need to have 22 per cent of total sales come from zero emission vehicles or they could be hit with massive fines worth £15,000 per car that misses the target.

These targets will continually grow, reaching 52 per cent in 2028, 80 per cent by the end of the decade and finally 100 per cent in 2035 - the current deadline to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.

Despite this, many experts are still confident that drivers will reignite their interest in electric vehicles in the near future.

Ade Thomas, founder of the global event, said: "Launching World EV Day was an ambitious task. Turning a simple idea into a global movement required a huge effort, but the response was overwhelming.

"The energy on the day itself each year is palpable. Witnessing such widespread engagement across the globe is a clear indication that we have made a real impact.

"We have successfully moved the needle on public engagement around sustainable mobility."

To celebrate World EV Day, charge point operator RAW Charging said it would be offering motorists free charging between 12.01am and 11.59pm on Monday, September 9.

This is the third year in a row that RAW Charging has supported electric vehicle drivers with free charging around the UK, with hundreds of chargers able to be used for free.

Commenting on the move, Jason Simpson, CEO of RAW Charging, said: "We're delighted to celebrate World EV Day by giving back to the EV drivers of the UK and thanking our hosts for their ongoing commitment to sustainability and reducing emissions.

"Our partnerships with businesses in the leisure, hospitality and retail sectors show the importance of destination charging and we'd like to thank our customers at these amazing places by offering free charging."

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World EV Day has grown massively since it was established in 2020 by Green.TV Media, with countless organisations supporting the endeavour and boosting the use of electric vehicles.

It has previously been mentioned during debates in Parliament, celebrated by the White House's top climate advisor and achieved more than 200 million X (formerly Twitter) impressions in 2023.