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2014 was the year that saw an increase in United Kingdom’s electric car sales, mainly because of the growing number of the country’s drivers opting to go green.

Edie.net reported that there was also an increase in the demand because of lower car costs and higher energy efficiency. Such aggressiveness in green vehicle demand in the UK resulted in the four-fold increase of plug-in hybrid car sales in the year 2014.

Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, or SMMT, released a report that revealed the boom in green vehicle sales by as much as 58 percent just last year. This translates to 51,739 green cars being registered by their owners.

Higher alternative car sales meant a significant market share of 2% in the year 2014, which was an improvement compared to the 1.4% market share just a year earlier. Total sales enjoyed an increase of 9.3 percent or 2.5 million.

The recent times was favourable to alternatively fueled cars. With many people and groups having only positive comment about the green vehicle, this lead to others seriously considering plugins to be a good choice for a vehicle.

Many drivers’ desire to go green resulted in a significant increase in registration of plug-in vehicles almost four fold within the year 2013, as explained by chief executive to SMMT Mike Hawes.

Significant number of sold cars was also a result of their intention to reduce power costs while enjoying greater energy efficiency.

And as more new plugin models and varieties are coming out in 2015, it can be expected that the market of green vehicles will enjoy significant growth – particularly in sales.

Hawes add that the market will have stabilized by the end of 2015 as the demand for these cars by UK drivers tapers off.

The start of 2014 saw the successful launching of Go Ultra Low by deputy prime minister of UK Nick Clegg. It is a £2.5m campaign that encourages motorists in the United Kingdom to adopt and use ultra-low emission cars.

It was also a great year for plugins, as electric car sales had increased to almost 14,500 units this year, from a measly 3,600 in 2013. To date, 20 more alternative plugin car models are now available in the market compared to just 6 that were added in 2011.

According to Clegg, it is clear that the extremely low costs of running these alternative vehicles are helping drivers enjoy significant amount in savings.

He is quick to add that plugin vehicles are clearly some of the most promising products of the alternative energy industries. Clegg also said that the government is bent on securing the position of the United Kingdom as a top leader when it comes to the manufacture and use of such vehicles.

The UK government also aims to see more green cars in many major roads and highways of the country. United Kingdom will also pour in 500 million pounds as a major investment that will further the growth and development of the green car industry. Such assistance will boost the confidence of Britain’s citizens when buying and driving these electric cars.

Electric car sales Photograph: SMMT/BusinessGreen