Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 30.0% of UK new car registrations in June 2026, the highest share so far this year, according to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)1. The overall new car market rose 11.4% year on year to 213,166 units, the best June performance since 2019, when 223,421 cars were registered1.
BEV registrations in June reached 63,950 units, up 35.0% on the 47,354 recorded in June 2025, when the share was 24.8%1. Plug-in hybrids took 12.5% of the market and hybrids 14.0%, while petrol fell 4.0% to a 39.7% share and diesel fell 24.4% to 3.8%1. The SMMT attributed the BEV uplift to growing model choice, sustained discounting and quarter-end activity, and cited consumer interest spurred by the impact of the Middle East conflict on fuel prices1.
| Powertrain | June 2026 units | June 2025 units | Change | Share 2026 | Share 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEV | 63,950 | 47,354 | 35.0% | 30.0% | 24.8% |
| HEV | 29,874 | 23,835 | 25.3% | 14.0% | 12.5% |
| PHEV | 26,702 | 21,382 | 24.9% | 12.5% | 11.2% |
| Petrol | 84,541 | 88,029 | -4.0% | 39.7% | 46.0% |
| Diesel | 8,099 | 10,716 | -24.4% | 3.8% | 5.6% |
| Total | 213,166 | 191,316 | 11.4% |
Source: SMMT1
Fleets accounted for 59.5% of June registrations, or six in ten new cars, with private buyers taking 37.8% and the business segment 2.7%1. Private registrations rose 12.5%, fleet 10.5% and business 17.1%1.
Year to date, BEVs account for 25.0% of the market, or 284,579 units, against 21.57% at the same point in 20251. The SMMT said this remains far short of the 33% target, and that BEVs would need to surpass 40% of new registrations across the rest of the year to meet it outright1. The SMMT also said 100% of respondents to its UK Automotive Business Leaders Barometer, a survey of 50 senior automotive leaders conducted between 1 May and 2 June 2026, said the UK is behind the trajectory needed to meet the mandated 80% share, with 73.8% believing it is significantly behind1.
"June’s performance is very strong, showing EV uptake is growing, with battery electric cars reaching their highest market share this year and more than half of buyers choosing electrified models. But even these record levels are still not enough to meet mandated targets."
The SMMT said more than £12 billion in manufacturer discounts have been spent since the start of 2024, alongside government incentives, and that uptake is still not rising fast enough, which it said is damaging profitability, diverting investment and weakening residual values1. It called for reform of the mandate, saying the cost of compliance is making the UK less competitive for selling and producing cars1.
Why it matters for households
The figures describe the new car market rather than the used market most households buy from, but they shape what becomes available second-hand in the years ahead. A rising BEV share means a larger pool of electric cars entering the used fleet later, which affects choice and prices for buyers who do not purchase new1.
For a household considering a home charge point, the trend matters less than the electricity supply arrangements behind it. Home charging is what allows a car to be refuelled at domestic rates rather than at public rapid chargers, and the smart charge point regulations set the default settings that new home charge points must ship with. The electric vehicle registration statistics page tracks the monthly and year-to-date figures behind this report, and the EV charging hub covers the equipment and regulatory side.
The SMMT's own framing is that the transition is not moving fast enough to meet the targets it is measured against, and that manufacturers are absorbing costs to sell electric cars1. What that means for residual values, and therefore for the cost of buying a used electric car, has not been reported in these figures.
What happens next
The SMMT has called for urgent reform of the electric vehicle mandate, saying the current trajectory is unachievable1. No date for a government decision on the mandate has been reported. The next monthly registration figures from the SMMT will show whether the June share is sustained or reflects the quarter-end pattern the SMMT itself identified1.