UK New Car Sales Rise for Third Month

2026-03-05 09:26 By Joana Ferreira 1 min. read

UK new car sales rose 7.2% year-on-year to 90,100 units in February 2026, marking the highest February volume in 22 years, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The growth follows two consecutive months of gains, although February remains a traditionally lower-volume and more volatile month, as many buyers wait for the March numberplate change.

The surge was largely driven by private retail registrations, which climbed 17.6% to 35,227 units.

Fleet registrations increased modestly by 1.8%, while the smaller business segment fell by 12.7%.

Fleets continue to dominate the market, accounting for 59.4% of all new car registrations.

Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales rose 2.8% to 21,840 units, or 24.2% of the market, marking a second consecutive month of year-on-year market share decline, partly reflecting strong early 2025 purchases ahead of tax changes and last year’s push to meet the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.



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UK New Car Sales Rise for Third Month
UK new car sales rose 7.2% year-on-year to 90,100 units in February 2026, marking the highest February volume in 22 years, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The growth follows two consecutive months of gains, although February remains a traditionally lower-volume and more volatile month, as many buyers wait for the March numberplate change. The surge was largely driven by private retail registrations, which climbed 17.6% to 35,227 units. Fleet registrations increased modestly by 1.8%, while the smaller business segment fell by 12.7%. Fleets continue to dominate the market, accounting for 59.4% of all new car registrations. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales rose 2.8% to 21,840 units, or 24.2% of the market, marking a second consecutive month of year-on-year market share decline, partly reflecting strong early 2025 purchases ahead of tax changes and last year’s push to meet the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
2026-03-05
UK Car Registrations Rise Further
New car sales in the UK rose by 3.4% from the previous year to 144,127 units in January of 2026, slowing from the 3.9% increase in the previous month. Registrations for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles soared (47.3% to 18,557) to mark over 12% of total registrations. A softer increase was noted for hybrid electric vehicles (4.8% to 19,197), while registrations of battery electric vehicles were steady (0.1% to 29,654), over 20% of the market share. In turn, sales fell for petrol engine vehicles (-1.9% to 68,757).
2026-02-05
UK New Car Sales Rebound in December
New car sales in the UK increased by 3.9% year on year to 146,249 units in December 2025, rebounding from the 1.6% decline in November. Demand was led by private and business buyers, with registrations rising 16.0% and 15.3%, respectively, offsetting a 2.4% decline in fleet registrations. By powertrain, traditional internal combustion vehicles remained under pressure. Diesel registrations fell 12.5%, while petrol car sales declined 3.1%. In contrast, new energy vehicles accounted for more than half of total market share, reflecting sustained electrification momentum. Plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) registrations surged 32.9%, while battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales rose 8.0% and hybrid registrations increased 3.0% year on year.
2026-01-06