Which car makers are going full tilt on EVs? As choice soars 246%, we reveal who added most models

Drivers’ choice of electric cars rocketed 246 per cent over the past five years, as manufacturers added more EVs to line-ups, while culling some of our favourite petrol and diesel models.

Fresh off the back of the news Ford will wield the axe on the Focus in November – having already killed off the Fiesta, Mondeo and Galaxy – market analysis revealed which brands are going full tilt on a move to EVs.

The report by Solera Cap Hpi showed the volume of EV variants on sale in Britain increased by two fifths in the past 12 months alone.

This comes as manufacturers make wholesale changes to their model ranges in preparation for the Government’s ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030.

While just 24 car makers in 2020 had at least one EV in showrooms, 44 brands now attempt to sell Britons a battery-powered vehicle.

In terms of EV models, the total on offer grew from 37 to a whopping 132 different options by the end of January 2025. It means a third of new car variants are now battery powered.

With experts predicting the EV landscape is set for ‘rapid, continued expansion and diversification’ over the coming months, we reveal below who accelerated their electric car transition most in the first half of this decade. 

Drivers’ choice of electric cars has grown by 246%. We reveal the brands with the most EVs

The analysis, from Cap Hpi Consulting’s PowerUP quarterly review, indicated more recent EV volume in the UK car market is now in smaller car segments, reporting growth in superminis and city cars. 

The trend is creating a more normal profile for the new EV market, which was previously dominated by large SUV-type models. This will in turn feed through to the used EV market.

Matt Freeman, managing consultant at Cap Hpi, said: ‘We’ve seen big shifts in the EV market since 2020, the main reason for this being an unprecedented variety of dependable EV options, with around 132 new EV models available in the UK as of January, accounting for a third of all new cars available.

‘The number of manufacturers, models, and variants will continue to increase with numerous new electric vehicles slated for release in 2025. 

‘This expanding variety includes SUVs, seven-seaters, compact city cars, and offerings from manufacturers new to the electric car market.’

Freeman makes clear the addition of new electric models is driven by a combination of: driver demand, the arrival of new brands – namely those from China – and the Government’s binding EV sales targets, the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, introduced last year. 

‘The UK’s ZEV mandate, which requires 28 per cent of new car sales to be zero-emission vehicles in 2025, is driving manufacturers to expand their EV line-ups,’ he told us.

‘The entry of Chinese manufacturers such as BYD and Leapmotor into the UK market will likely further diversify the available models and variants.’

Volvo has gone from selling no EVs at the start of 2020 to offering six different battery models by the start of this year, adding the likes of the EX30 and EC40

Which car makers have the most EV models?

In terms of brands who added to their ranges most, there are plenty with triple-digit percentage increases between 2020 and 2024.

Volvo has gone from selling no EVs at the start of 2020 to offering six different battery models, adding the likes of the EX30 and EC40.

BMW has also increased electric car availability, rising from one in 2020 (the i3) to seven in total.

In fact, the German brands appear to be leading the pack in Britain in terms of EV options.

Audi has shifted from one to six different ‘e-tron’ electric cars, Mercedes-Benz has bolstered its ‘EQ’ range from two to seven, and Volkswagen’s ‘ID’ line-up has doubled from three to six.

Other brands notably big on EVs include Korean sister makers, Hyundai (from two to four EVs) and Kia (from two to five).

This is also the case for a number of brands under the Stellantis banner: Citroen (from one to four), Peugeot (from three to seven) and Vauxhall (from two to six).

BMW has also increased its electric car availability, rising from just the i3 (left) in 2020 to seven EVs in total by January 2025, including the i5 pictured right

The EVs killing off old favourites

The emergence of new EVs is ultimately coming at the cost of some of Britain’s favourite cars.

Last week, Ford bosses confirmed it will cease production of the Focus after almost three decades to allow it to continue the shift to EVs.

That’s despite the Focus currently being the second most common car on UK roads, with some 1.35million registered.

In 2020, Ford sold just one EV model (Mustang Mach-e) but by the start of this year it had three options.

Since 2022, Ford has culled the Mondeo family car, Galaxy and S-Max MPVs, and – most shocking of all – the Fiesta, despite it being the UK’s best-selling new car for decades, amassing some 4.8 million sales in Britain alone and 22 million globally.

Over the same period, it launched the new Explorer EV and made the contentious decision to name its new sporty electric SUV Capri, much to the anger of Ford enthusiasts. It will also add an electric Puma Gen-E later in 2025.

Mini has – not for the first time – discontinued the Clubman estate, Audi has killed off the iconic TT sports car in its pursuit of upping EV options, and VW has removed the Up from its showrooms over the five-year period reviewed by Solera Cap Hpi.

Famously going a step further, Jaguar eradicated its entire car line-up last year as part of its bid to become an EV-only brand from the beginning of 2026, and Volvo recently hinted it will stop producing estate cars for good as it focuses on more popular body styles, namely SUVs with electric drivetrains.