UK Electric Car Sales Hit All-Time High in September

September marked a landmark moment for the UK’s electric vehicle market, with battery-electric vehicle registrations reaching their highest monthly total on record. According to preliminary data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), BEV sales climbed 36.3 per cent compared to the same month last year, totalling 99,199 units. Electric cars also captured a record 28.3 per cent share of the overall new car market.

The surge was driven by an expanding lineup of electric models, attractive manufacturer incentives, and the government’s Electric Car Grant scheme. So far in 2026, BEV registrations have reached 454,945 units over the first nine months, a 30.2 per cent increase year-on-year, with electric vehicles now holding a 26.2 per cent market share for the year to date, up from 20.2 per cent at the same point in 2025.

Tesla’s Model 3 topped the sales charts last month with 9,929 registrations, followed by the Model Y, BYD Sealion 7, BYD Seal, and Kia EV3. The SMMT noted that while the figures demonstrate strong momentum, the current adoption rate still falls short of the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, which requires a 33 per cent BEV share in 2026. Meeting that target would demand an additional 265,000 electric registrations in the final quarter alone.

Plug-in hybrids also had a record-breaking September, with registrations jumping 55.7 per cent year-on-year to claim 17 per cent of the market. Conventional hybrids, meanwhile, slipped 4.2 per cent to 45,838 units. Combined, electrified vehicles—BEVs, PHEVs, and hybrids—accounted for 58.4 per cent of all new car registrations. The broader market grew 12.1 per cent to 350,518 units, its best September since 2017.