The number of battery electric cars in the UK has passed the 500,000 mark for the first time.

The milestone was reached in June with the number of electric cars in the country is likely to overtake other countries in Europe such as France later this year.

The number of electric cars on the UK’s roads has risen from fewer than 100,000 in 2019 as carmakers have started to produce them in large volumes to meet tightening regulations on carbon dioxide emissions, and impending bans on petrol and diesel cars that will come in by 2035 in the UK and EU, reports the Guardian.

Reacting to the news, RAC EV spokesperson Simon Williams said: “While the global chip shortage is still hampering overall demand for new vehicles, June’s figures mean that the total number of battery electric cars on the roads has surpassed the half-a-million milestone – a ray of light in what is otherwise a gloomy set of new vehicle registration figures.

“Moreover, sales of all plug-in vehicles including plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) now account for one-in-five registrations which clearly shows that desire for electrified vehicles shows no signs of waning, with the record petrol and diesel prices no doubt having an effect. However, sales of PHEVs appear to be down on 2021, which could be a sign that drivers are biting the bullet and jumping straight into an all-electric vehicle rather than using PHEVs as a stepping stone.”