UK Cars Sales Rise The Most Since 2019

UK new car sales rose by 24% year-over-year in April 2026, reaching 149,247 registrations, reflecting a rebound from a weak April 2025, when buyers advanced purchases to avoid tax hikes, including VED and the Expensive Car Supplement on BEVs. While April is typically a low-volume month, this was the strongest performance since 2019, with growth across all sectors: fleets (+26.8%), private retail (+20.2%), and business (+15.0%). Petrol car demand grew 8.2%, while diesel registrations dipped 1%. Electrified vehicles accounted for over half (53.2%) of the market for the second consecutive month. PHEV registrations surged 46.4% (13.8% market share), and HEVs rose 18.8% (13.2% share). BEV sales jumped 59.1% to 39,084 units, pushing total registrations since 2002 past two million. BEVs took a 26.2% market share for the month and 23.1% year-to-date, still below the 33% Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate target, despite manufacturer discounts and the Electric Car Grant.

New car registrations in the UK rose 6.6% yoy to 380,627 in March 2026, typically the biggest market month of the year, following a 7.2% gain in February, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. It marks the best March and best month overall since 2019, driven primarily by private demand, with retail registrations rising 10.1% to 162,470 units. Fleet registrations increased 3.5% to 208,853 units, while the smaller business sector grew 18.8% to 9,304 units. March was also the best month on record for EV volumes (196,059 registrations), underlining the impact of manufacturers’ investment in road transport decarbonisation. Battery electric vehicles volumes went up 24.2% to reach record high, but market share was just 22.6%, when mandated target for the year is 33%. At the start of 2026, battery costs were more than 30% higher than expected and industrial energy prices around 80% above 2021 levels, while public charging can cost over 140% more than five years ago.

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.