Battery electric vehicles accounted for 32.2% of UK new car registrations in December 2025, the only month of the year in which the 28% target under the zero emission vehicle mandate was exceeded, according to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) on 6 January 20261.
The UK new car market grew for the third year in a row in 2025, breaching the two million mark for the first time since the pandemic, with 2,020,520 new car registrations, up 3.5% on 20241. December uptake rose by 3.9% to 146,249 units, with private buyer demand up 16.0% in the month1. Across the full year, private registrations rose 4.5% to 779,587, fleet registrations rose 2.6% to 1,194,545 and business registrations rose 8.8% to 46,3881.
Almost half a million new BEVs, 473,348, were registered during 2025, a rise of 23.9% on 2024, taking full-year BEV market share to 23.4% against a mandate target of 28%1. The SMMT said the gap between demand and ambition is increasing rather than diminishing, noting that in 2024 the BEV share of 19.6% fell 2.4 percentage points short of that year's 22% target, while in 2025 the shortfall was 4.6 percentage points1.
| Powertrain | 2025 registrations | 2025 share | 2024 share |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEV | 473,348 | 23.43% | 19.56% |
| HEV | 280,185 | 13.87% | 13.39% |
| PHEV | 225,143 | 11.14% | 8.56% |
| Petrol | 937,938 | 46.42% | 52.19% |
| Diesel | 103,906 | 5.14% | 6.30% |
Plug-in hybrids were the fastest growing powertrain, with volumes up 34.7% to take 11.1% of registrations, while hybrid electric vehicle volumes rose 7.2% to a 13.9% share1. Petrol registrations fell 8.0% and diesel fell 15.6%1. Average new car CO2 fell 10.1% from 2024 to 91.8 g/km1.
The SMMT said manufacturers subsidised BEV sales by more than £5 billion in 2025, equivalent to £11,000 per BEV registered, and criticised the "announcement of a new 'eVED' tax on EVs purchased from 2028" as sending a confusing message to consumers1. It said more than 160 BEV models are now available, up from just over 130 at the start of 2025, with at least 60 more due in 2026, and that only around a quarter of models are currently eligible for the Electric Car Grant at any level1.
"Rising EV uptake is an undoubted positive, but the pace is still too slow and the cost to industry too high. Government has stepped in with the Electric Car Grant, but a new EV tax, additional charges for EV drivers in London and costly public charging send mixed signals."
Why it matters for households
The December figure shows the mandate target is reachable in a strong month, but the full-year share of 23.4% means the market as a whole ran below the level the regulation requires1. For a household weighing up a switch, the practical picture is a widening choice of models and a grant that applies to only about a quarter of them at any level, set against a purchase tax on EVs announced for 20281. The SMMT's own figures put the average discount manufacturers funded at £11,000 per BEV registered in 2025, a level the industry body describes as unsustainable1. Charging arrangements at home, including the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant for renters and flat owners and the rules under the Smart Charge Points Regulations, shape running costs independently of the purchase price. Full registration data is set out in the UK electric vehicle registration statistics.
What happens next
From 2026 the UK's zero emission sales target requires BEVs to comprise one in three new car registrations, or 33%1. The SMMT said the forthcoming review of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate is a crucial opportunity to ensure the transition supports competitiveness, and called on government to bring the review forward1. It also noted the EU's proposal to revise its 2035 end of sale date, which it said broadens divergence between the UK and the larger market on its doorstep1. No date for the UK review has been reported.