A record number of UK car buyers are option to reduce their fuel bills by choosing ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs), according to research by GO Ultra Low.

Latest registration figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal that more than 41% of all alternatively-fuelled cars registered in the first quarter of 2015 qualified for the government’s plug-in car grant – up from 13% over the same period in 2014.
 
In the first quarter of 2015, 8,573 passenger vehicles with CO2 emissions lower than 75g/km were registered – a year-on-year increase of 386%.
 
There has also been a 421% increase in fleet and business ULEV volumes in the quarter.

Head of Go Ultra Low, a joint initiative by government and the UK automotive industry, Hetal Shah said: “The latest plug-in vehicle uptake figures prove that ultra-low emission cars and vans make sense for both private and business users, especially with the potential for fuel costs as low as 2p a mile and reduced whole life running costs.”
 
Most popular ultra-low emissions vehicles:

1	Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
2	Nissan LEAF
3	BMW i3
4	Renault ZOE
5	BMW i8

 
Regions where ultra-low emissions vehicles are most popular:

1	South
2	London
3	East
4	West Midlands
5	North West

 
Regions where ultra-low emissions vehicles are least popular:

1	East Yorkshire / Lincolnshire
2	Northern Ireland
3	West
4	South East
5	East Midlands

 
ULEVs with CO2 emissions of less than 75g/km are exempt from road tax and generate a typical annual fuel saving of £660 per vehicle*, a nationwide network of free recharging points and no congestion charge to pay in London have helped accelerate uptake over the past five years, with more than 25,000 ULEVs now on UK roads.

With an increasing choice of models qualifying for the £5,000 plug-in grant, the government is well on the way to hitting its aim for ULEVs to make up 5% of all new registrations by 2020.