UK new car registrations rose 11.7% year-on-year to 156,571 units in July 2026, the strongest July since 2019, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The increase marked an eighth consecutive month of growth, extending the market's recovery toward pre-pandemic levels. Demand increased across all buyer segments, with private registrations up 12.6%, fleet sales rising 9.5% to account for 59.9% of the market, and the lower-volume business registrations surging 61.3%. Electrified vehicles continued to drive growth. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations jumped 44.5% to a record July level, lifting their market share to 27.5%, while plug-in hybrid and hybrid registrations increased 33.6% and 11.6%, respectively, accounting for 14.9% and 13.2% of the market. The SMMT now expects BEVs to make up 27.4% of total registrations this year, still below the UK's 33% zero-emission vehicle mandate target. source: The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Limited (SMMT)

New Passenger Car Registrations YoY in the United Kingdom increased to 11.70 percent in July from 11.40 percent in June of 2026. New Passenger Car Registrations YoY in the United Kingdom averaged 10.71 percent from 1991 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 3176.60 percent in April of 2021 and a record low of -97.30 percent in April of 2020. This page includes a chart with historical data for the United Kingdom New Passenger Car Registrations YoY. United Kingdom New Passenger Car Registrations YoY - values, historical data and charts - was last updated on August of 2026.

New Passenger Car Registrations YoY in the United Kingdom increased to 11.70 percent in July from 11.40 percent in June of 2026. New Passenger Car Registrations YoY in the United Kingdom is expected to be 1.20 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United Kingdom New Passenger Car Registrations YoY is projected to trend around 4.50 percent in 2027 and 7.00 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-07-06 09:00 AM
New Car Sales YoY
Jun 11.4% 7.1% 2.8%
2026-08-05 08:00 AM
New Car Sales YoY
Jul 11.7% 11.4% 10.0%
2026-09-04 08:00 AM
New Car Sales YoY
Aug 11.7%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bankruptcies 1931.00 1847.00 Companies Jul 2026
BRC Retail Sales Monitor YoY 1.00 1.70 percent Jul 2026
CBI Business Optimism Index -36.00 -65.00 points Sep 2026
Car Production YoY 68200.00 49249.00 Units Jun 2026
Car Registrations 156571.00 213166.00 Units Jul 2026
Changes in Inventories 1880.00 1680.00 GBP Million Jun 2026
Composite Leading Indicator 100.29 100.48 points Jun 2026
Corporate Profits 169181.00 165769.00 GBP Million Mar 2026
Battery Electric Vehicle Registrations 43106.00 63950.00 Units Jul 2026
Electricity Price 127.23 126.10 GBP/MWh Aug 2026
Electricity Production 68407.60 66079.40 Gigawatt-hour Mar 2026
CBI Industrial Trends Orders -25.00 -45.00 Net Balance Aug 2026
Industrial Production YoY -0.20 1.00 percent Jun 2026
Industrial Production MoM -0.20 -0.70 percent Jun 2026
GDP 3-Month Avg 0.40 0.60 percent Jun 2026
Manufacturing Production YoY 0.50 2.00 percent Jun 2026
Manufacturing Production MoM -0.50 -0.20 Percent Jun 2026
New Orders 9163.00 10395.00 GBP Million Jun 2026
New Car Sales YoY 11.70 11.40 percent Jul 2026
Business Investment QoQ 1.70 0.90 percent Jun 2026


United Kingdom New Passenger Car Registrations YoY
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
11.70 11.40 3176.60 -97.30 1991 - 2026 percent Monthly
NSA

News Stream
UK New Car Sales Post Strongest July Since 2019
UK new car registrations rose 11.7% year-on-year to 156,571 units in July 2026, the strongest July since 2019, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The increase marked an eighth consecutive month of growth, extending the market's recovery toward pre-pandemic levels. Demand increased across all buyer segments, with private registrations up 12.6%, fleet sales rising 9.5% to account for 59.9% of the market, and the lower-volume business registrations surging 61.3%. Electrified vehicles continued to drive growth. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations jumped 44.5% to a record July level, lifting their market share to 27.5%, while plug-in hybrid and hybrid registrations increased 33.6% and 11.6%, respectively, accounting for 14.9% and 13.2% of the market. The SMMT now expects BEVs to make up 27.4% of total registrations this year, still below the UK's 33% zero-emission vehicle mandate target.
2026-08-05
EV Demand Accelerates UK Car Sales
UK new car sales surged by 11.4% year-on-year to 213,166 units in June 2026, the best performance for the month since 2019, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Growth was broad-based across all customer segments. Registrations by private buyers increased by 12.5%, fleet deliveries rose 10.5%, and the smaller business segment recorded the strongest gain at 17.1%. Fleet customers remained the dominant source of demand, representing 59.5% of all new car registrations. The ongoing shift toward electrification continued to support the market, underpinned by manufacturers' investment in a broader portfolio of low- and zero-emission models and the expansion of brands operating in the UK. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) gained further momentum, increasing their market share to 30.0%, the highest so far this year, reflecting seasonal quarter-end volumes and stronger demand amid higher fuel prices. PHEVs took 12.5% of the market, while HEVs accounted for 14.0%.
2026-07-06
UK Car Sales Surge to Best May Since 2019
UK new car sales climbed 7.1% year-over-year to 160,662 units in May 2026, the strongest May performance since 2019, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Private buyer demand led the growth, with registrations jumping 17.2% as consumers took advantage of competitive offers from a record range of brands and a 6.4% increase in model choices, including a 25.6% rise in battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales year-to-date. Fleet demand grew modestly by 1.8%, accounting for 57.1% of all registrations, while the smaller business sector declined by 18.8%, though the volume drop was marginal (720 units). Consumer demand continued to shift toward new technologies, with petrol and diesel car registrations falling by 7.1% and 2.2%, respectively. Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) uptake rose 1.8%, plug-in hybrid deliveries surged 23.9% to capture a 13.8% market share, and BEV registrations increased 34.2%, reaching a 27.3% market share, the highest recorded in 2026 so far.
2026-06-04