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UK: Two millionth electric car registered as market rebounds strongly

Britain's electric vehicle market surges past a milestone, with the two millionth plug-in car registered in the country, driven by a rebound in sales following tax reforms that reduced upfront costs for consumers. The UK's plug-in car grant, which offers up to £3,500 in discounts, has been credited with boosting demand for eco-friendly vehicles. This uptick in sales marks a significant turning point for the industry, as the UK aims to phase out internal combustion engines by 2030. AI-assisted, human-reviewed.

Daniel B (AI-assisted) May 5, 2026 1 min read EN

The UK new car market grew 24.0% in April 2026 compared to the same month last year, reaching 149,247 registrations, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The rebound follows an unusually weak April 2025, when buyers pulled purchases forward to March to avoid incoming vehicle tax increases, including Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and the Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) on battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

The two millionth electric car

April also saw the two millionth battery electric car registered in the UK — the cumulative total now stands at 2,012,758. BEV registrations grew 59.1% year-on-year in April, reaching 39,084 units and capturing a 26.2% market share for the month. Year-to-date, BEVs account for 23.1% of the overall new car market.

Market composition

Electrified vehicles — BEVs, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and hybrids (HEVs) — made up 53.2% of the market for the second month this year. PHEV registrations rose 46.4% to a 13.8% share, while HEVs increased 18.8% to 13.2%. Petrol car registrations grew 8.2% (42.6% share), and diesel fell 1.0% (4.2% share).

Fleet registrations led growth, up 26.8% to 90,462 units. Private retail deliveries rose 20.2% to 56,116, and the business sector grew 15.0% to 2,669.

Outlook and mandate gap

The SMMT has upgraded its 2026 total new car registration forecast to 2.093 million units (up from 2.048 million in January). However, the BEV share forecast has been downgraded to 26.8% from 28.5%, following a weaker-than-expected first quarter. The 2027 forecast projects 2.121 million registrations, with 32.0% BEVs — roughly six percentage points below the target set by the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, which requires 33% BEV share in 2026.

SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes noted that energy, production, and charging costs remain high, and demand has not grown as fast as assumed when the regulation was formulated. The Iran conflict adds further uncertainty, with potential impacts on inflation, energy prices, and the cost of living.

Top models

The best-selling model in April was the Ford Puma (4,211 units),

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