Latest UK new registrations at end of August 2025
- New car market declines -2.0% in August to 82,908 units during the typically quietest month of the year.
- Model choice, ongoing manufacturer discounts and some limited initial impact from the newly announced Electric Car Grant helped drive battery electric car share to 26.5%, the highest recorded in 2025, replicating previous performances for low volume month.
- September, usually the second biggest month of the year, critical for delivering BEV growth as new Electric Car Grant takes effect, with YTD market share at 21.9%
- The zero emission transition, fuelled by manufacturer investment in model choice, hefty discounting, and a new fiscal incentive from government, drove battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations up by 14.9% to reach a market share of 26.5%, the highest this year and the fourth highest on record.1This replicates the pattern in 2023 and 2024, where August’s low overall registration volumes and high fleet concentration resulted in significantly larger BEV shares than those recorded across the rest of the year.2
- BEV growth was only outpaced by plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) uptake, which rose by 69.4% to deliver an 11.8% market share. Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) uptake, meanwhile, fell by -13.9% to account for 11.4% of the market.
“August was the best month yet this year for EV market share and, while it is often volatile due to low overall volumes, the overall trend is positive. September will be critical, with the new number plate factor typically driving around one in seven new car registrations for the year.
There is now a vast choice of electric models across all segments and many consumers will also, for the first time in three years, benefit from a grant to help them switch to electric. With more models being added to the Government’s Electric Car grant each week, there is now every reason for drivers to make the switch, helping deliver both economic growth and decarbonisation.”
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive
Statistics and commentary from SMMT
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