The UK has seen a nice rise in the number of new vehicles sold but EV sales fall again, citing a shift in the buying habits of consumers

In September, the UK’s new car market showed robust growth, surging by 21.0% with 272,610 registrations, according to the latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This marks the 14th consecutive month of growth and the second busiest month of the year, following March’s traditional market surge. This is parallel to the used car market growing as well.

Large fleets were the driving force behind this growth, with a 40.8% increase, reaching a 52.5% market share. Private consumer demand also increased by 5.8%, totaling 122,944 units. While this represents the best September performance since 2020, registrations are still 20.6% below pre-pandemic levels.

The rise in electrified vehicle adoption continued, with plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) up by 50.9%, claiming a 6.8% market share. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) accounted for 13.9% of all registrations with a 30.7% increase. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) saw their 41st consecutive month of growth, with 45,323 drivers making the switch, an 18.9% uplift. However, BEV market share slightly dipped to 16.6% from 16.9% a year ago.

Fleet purchases predominantly drove the BEV surge, rising by 50.6%, while private EV sales fall by -14.3%. This decline underscores the need for incentives to boost private demand if the Government is wanting the general public to take up EV’s.

Despite aligning the end-of-sale date with other major markets, the UK faces a challenging zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) transition timeline. The recently published Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate requires ZEVs to comprise half of each manufacturer’s new registrations within five years and 80% by 2030. Achieving this depends on private buyers making the transition, along with business and fleet customers. However, private motorists in the UK lack purchase incentives for electric mobility.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, emphasised the need to accelerate the transition by providing incentives for all motorists to switch to electric vehicles and create conditions conducive to achieving shared net-zero ambitions, especially as tougher EV targets for manufacturers loom in the coming year.