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Battery electric cars (BEVs) achieved another record volume in July 2026 to claim a 27.5% share, up 44.5% compared to July 2025, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). BEVs hit 30.0% market share in the UK in June 2026.
The SMMT says that the latest industry outlook expects BEVs to represent 27.4% of the total 2.18m new car registrations in 2026. The ZEV mandate target for 2026 is 33%. Longer term, the SMMT says that BEV share is expected to rise to 32.1% in 2027 against a target of 38%.
The outlook reflects manufacturer views submitted prior to the end of Electric Car Grant (ECG) eligibility for demonstrator and courtesy cars in mid-July. These vehicles currently account for around 10% of BEV registrations, and around a third of the BEV market is delivered through the ECG.
Overall, Britain’s new car market grew 11.7% in July with 156,571 units registered. Demand grew across all sectors, with private buyer uptake rising 12.6%, fleet deliveries up 9.5% – representing six in 10 (59.9%) registrations – and the lower-volume business segment up 61.3%.
Growth was driven by ‘electrified’ vehicle uptake, with plug-in hybrids up 33.6% to take a 14.9% share of the market, and hybrids up 11.6% to account for 13.2%.
Vicky Edmonds, Chief Executive of EVA England, said:
“July’s figures show that the shift to electric is gathering real momentum, with battery-electric car registrations up 50% on last year and more than one in four new cars now fully electric. The growing range of manufacturers competing for drivers is widening choice and bring more affordable models to market.
“The priority now must be to maintain policy certainty and ensure that every driver, not only those able to charge cheaply at home, can benefit from the transition. That means urgently reviewing the public charging market so that cost, reliability and ease of use encourage more people to make the switch. The proposed eVED scheme risks becoming another barrier if it adds complexity or unfair costs for drivers. The Government should pause and rethink it before pressing ahead.”
