Sales of electric vehicles drove the market in October according to the latest figures available.
Electrified vehicles were the only powertrain technologies to record growth, largely driven by Registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rose by 23.6%, equivalent to 7,028 additional units.
As a result, BEVs took a 25.4% market share, the second highest recorded this year, although still short of the 28% target set by the ZEV Mandate.
Overall, the UK new car market remained stable in October as registrations rose 0.5% to reach 144,948 units, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Registrations by fleets declined slightly, falling -1.5%, but the decline was offset by a small increase in registrations by private buyers, up 2.0
Plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) uptake rose 27.2% to account for 12.1% of the market, while hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) posted growth of 2.1% to claim a 13.3% share. Combined, electrified vehicles comprised the majority of new car registrations for the second consecutive month, with 50.8% of the market.
While October’s growth was more modest, year to date the overall BEV market is now up 28.9%, at 386,244 units – more than registered in the whole of 2024 – with two months still to go before the year ends. BEVs now account for 22.4% of all new sales, thanks to massive manufacturer investment and, more recently, government support through the Electric Car Grant.
The latest quarterly industry outlook anticipates the overall new car market for 2025 will top two million units (2.012 million) for the first time since pre-pandemic 2019, with BEVs expected to account for 23.3% of uptake.
For 2026, the overall market is expected to reach 2.032 million units, a moderate improvement on the previous outlook, with the BEV outlook maintained at 28.2%.
The SMMT said while this would represent “exceptional progress”, it would still fall short of mandated targets for 2026, which call for zero emission vehicles to comprise one in three new car registrations. The gap is set to widen in 2027, with BEV share anticipated to hit 32.2% against a 38% target.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “The government has backed the UK automotive sector with EV incentives and global trade deals, helping drive growth and encourage decarbonisation.”
