UK: Two millionth electric car registered as market rebounds strongly

News Car Car registrationsTwo millionth electric car registered as market rebounds strongly from tax changes5 May 2026 SCROLL TO DISCOVER

• New car market rises 24.0% in April as market recovers from last year’s negative tax change impact.
• Two millionth electric car registered, with robust 26.2% market share during low-volume month.
• 2026 outlook upgraded to 2.093m registrations overall, but ZEV share revised down to 26.8% after underperforming Q1 demand.

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New car registrations data April 2026

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The UK new car market grew by 24.0% to reach 149,247 registrations last month, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 

The increase reflects a rebound from an unusually weak April last year, when buyers pulled purchases forward to March to beat incoming vehicle tax increases, including the application of VED and the Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) on battery electric vehicles (BEVs).1 While April remains a traditionally low volume month, magnifying year-on-year variation, this was the best outturn since 2019’s 161,064 units.

Apr car registration by sales 2026 car registrations by sales

	April
	2026	2025	% change	Mkt share ’26	Mkt share ’25
Private	56,116	46,671	20.2%	37.6%	38.8%
Fleet	90,462	71,340	26.8%	60.6%	59.3%
Business	2,669	2,320	15.0%	1.8%	1.9%
Total	149,247	120,331	24.0%

	Year to date
	2026	2025	% change	Mkt share ’26	Mkt share ’25
Private	306,211	274,257	11.7%	40.1%	39.1%
Fleet	441,094	412,497	6.9%	57.7%	58.9%
Business	16,796	14,079	19.3%	2.2%	2.0%
Total	764,101	700,833	9.0%

Growth was recorded in all sectors, led by fleets, up 26.8% to 90,462 registrations. Private retail deliveries grew 20.2% to reach 56,116, while registrations by the smaller business sector rose 15.0% to 2,669. 

Demand for petrol cars rose 8.2%, while diesel registrations fell -1.0%. Electrified cars accounted for more than half (53.2%) of the market for the second month this year.2 Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations rose 46.4% to take a 13.8% market share, while hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) increased 18.8%, securing 13.2% of new registrations.   

Apr car registration by fuel type 2026 car registrations by fuel

	April
	2026	2025	% change	Mkt share ’26	Mkt share ’25
BEV	39,084	24,558	59.1%	26.2%	20.4%
HEV	19,711	16,586	18.8%	13.2%	13.8%
PHEV	20,597	14,073	46.4%	13.8%	11.7%
PETROL	63,541	58,733	8.2%	42.6%	48.8%
DIESEL	6,314	6,381	-1.0%	4.2%	5.3%
TOTAL	149,247	120,331	24.0%

	Year to date
	2026	2025	% change	Mkt share ’26	Mkt share ’25
BEV	176,698	144,749	22.1%	23.1%	20.7%
HEV	111,083	102,591	8.3%	14.5%	14.6%
PHEV	99,263	67,759	46.5%	13.0%	9.7%
PETROL	340,230	345,520	-1.5%	44.5%	49.3%
DIESEL	36,827	40,214	-8.4%	4.8%	5.7%
TOTAL	764,101	700,833	9.05%

Marking a market milestone, April also saw the two millionth battery electric car registered (2,012,758)3, following bumper growth of 59.1% compared with last year. As a result, BEV uptake reached a robust 26.2% share of registrations in the month – an impressive performance albeit in a typically low volume month. Year to date, BEVs comprise 23.1% of the overall new car market, significantly short of the 33% required by the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, despite billions in manufacturer discounts and the introduction of the Electric Car Grant last year.

The latest industry outlook, also published today, shows improving confidence in overall market volumes but also reflects weaker expectations for EV demand. Total new car registrations in 2026 are now expected to rise 3.6% to 2.093 million, up from January’s 2.048 million outlook, but BEV share has been downgraded to 26.8%, from 28.5%, following an underperforming first quarter. 

Looking ahead, the 2027 market is anticipated to reach 2.121 million units, 32.0% of them BEVs – leaving a persistent gap of around six percentage points against the mandate target. Energy, production and charging costs remain high and, as a result, demand has not grown as fast as assumed when the regulation was formulated.4 The Iran conflict adds further uncertainty, the full impact of which is yet to be seen, with rising interest in EVs potentially tempered by concern over inflation, higher energy prices and the resultant negative impact on the cost of living.

Other major international markets are revising their transition plans to reflect geopolitical and market realities. The UK similarly needs an urgent review of the transition to avoid being put in an uncompetitive position, undermining consumer choice, investment and growth.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive

April’s rebound is welcome, but underlines just how significantly fiscal changes can influence the market. Two million electric car registrations is a considerable milestone to celebrate, although natural demand is still well below the level demanded by the mandate.

The mounting cost of compliance threatens to limit consumer choice, overall decarbonisation and the sector’s competitiveness so the need for a rapid review of the transition to align policy with market realities is unchanged, else Britain’s attractiveness as a vehicle market and manufacturing hub will be put at risk.

Top models April Top Models 2026

	April
1	FORD PUMA	4,211
2	KIA Sportage	3,645
3	NISSAN Qashqai	2,846
4	VOLKSWAGEN Golf	2,845
5	MINI Cooper	2,577
6	OMODA 5	2,308
7	VAUXHALL Corsa	2,236
8	VOLKSWAGEN Tiguan	2,234
9	MG HS	2,146
10	JAECOO 7	2,099

	Year-to-date
1	FORD Puma	20,339
2	KIA Sportage	17,835
3	JAECOO 7	17,668
4	NISSAN Qashqai	15,699
5	VAUXHALL Corsa	12,788
6	VOLKSWAGEN Golf	12,021
7	VOLVO XC40	11,360
8	MG HS	11,293
9	MINI Cooper	10,686
10	VOLKSWAGEN Tiguan	10,252

Notes to editors

1. New car market falls in April as tax changes bite, 6 May 2025
2. Electrified defined as battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid (HEV)
3. BEVs registered since 2002
4. Same Destination, Smarter Route: Delivering decarbonisation in the modern market

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