The number of cars on UK roads reached record levels in 2025, up 1.4% to 42,549,649 vehicles.
The number of cars in use rose by more than half a million – or 1.4% – to 36,676,185, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth and the second largest volume increase since 2016, driven by the recovering new car market.
Van and truck volumes also grew to record levels, up by 1.4% to 5,175,598 and 0.2% to 626,566 units respectively, according to new Motorparc data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Meanwhile, a record 1,797,809 battery electric cars are now in use, up 34.7% on 2024 after significant uplifts in the new car market, driven by unprecedented manufacturer discounting and government incentives, and now accounting for almost 5% of the car parc.
The shift to cleaner technologies is delivering environmental benefits, with average car CO2 emissions down by -2.9% on 2024, demonstrating the importance of fleet renewal and increasing demand for lower-emission powertrains.
However, a record 45.7% of all cars on the road have now been in service for more than a decade, up from 43.4% in 2024. As a result, the UK’s cars are getting older, with the average age rising to 9.7 years, up from 9.5 in 2024, as motorists hold onto vehicles for longer amid cost-of-living pressures and economic uncertainty.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Britain’s vehicle parc is growing with record numbers of newer zero emission vehicles on our roads driving environmental, economic and safety benefits.
“This is grounds for celebration but the pace has to quicken if ambition is to match demand with the average age of vehicles on our roads actually rising. A holistic review of the UK’s ZEV transition is essential, therefore, to ensure that every business and consumer can make the switch so that we can deliver net zero by 2050.”
