The UK new car market grew by 24.0 percent 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).
Electric cars accounted for more than half (53.2 percent) of the market for the second month this year. Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations rose 46.4 percent to take a 13.8 percent market share, while hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) increased 18.8 percent, securing 13.2 percent of new registrations.
April also saw the two millionth battery electric car registered (2,012,758), following growth of 59.1 percent compared with last year. As a result, BEV uptake reached 26.2 percent share of registrations during the month. Over the year to date, BEVs comprise 23.1 percent of the overall new car market, significantly short of the 33 percent required by the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, despite billions in manufacturer discounts and the introduction of the Electric Car Grant last year.
“Two million electric car registrations is a considerable milestone to celebrate, although natural demand is still well below the level demanded by the mandate” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. “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.”
The latest industry outlook 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 percent to 2.093 million, up from January’s 2.048 million outlook, but BEV share has been downgraded to 26.8 percent, from 28.5 percent, following an underperforming first quarter.
Looking ahead, 32 percent of the 2.121 million units expected from the 2027 market will be 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. 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.
“The latest SMMT figures reflect a market that’s building consistent momentum, with more than two million EVs now on UK roads and over 100,000 drivers benefiting from the Electric Car Grant” added Melanie Lane, CEO of leading EV charging provider Pod. “Recent Autotrader research highlighted that EVs are now cheaper to buy than ICE vehicles on average, while charging continues to be cheaper than petrol not only at home but now also across the public network, according to ChargeUK. The focus now must be delivering the right policy framework and infrastructure to keep this momentum going.”
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