A global ban due to be enforced on fuel-powered car production by 2030 has resulted in the exponential growth of the alternative vehicle market in recent years . The UK now has more than 395,000 all-electric cars on its roads , while plug-in hybrid models have exceeded 740,000 . The Chinese electric vehicle ( EV ) market is also proving successful , topping 3.52 million EV sales from companies like Aiways , SAIC , FAW , Dongfeng , Chana , BAIC , GAC , Chery , BYD and Geely . In the US , alternative fuel cars account for around 10.5 % of light vehicle sales .