EVs near UK petrol crossover at 32% market share — SkimNews
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- Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) took 32% of the UK’s new car market in October 2026, up from 15.2% in March 2024, with registrations rising 32.7% year-on-year to 48,858 units.
- Petrol cars fell to 37.2% market share in October 2026, down from 55.9% in March 2024, with registrations dropping 11.6% to 56,876 units.
- SMMT forecasts 27.2% full-year BEV market share for 2026, below the 33% ZEV Mandate target, and projects a 14.5-point gap between required and expected EV sales by 2028.
- Chinese brands led growth in October, with BYD up 73%, Jaecoo more than doubling sales, Chery nearly tripling, and MG rising 85%, while Tesla registered only 282 units, down 45% year-on-year.
- Electrek disputes the SMMT’s 'demand gap' argument, noting 30.4% year-to-date BEV growth and stating that automaker discounts reflect the ZEV Mandate working as intended.
Why it matters: The UK is on track to see electric cars outsell petrol models within months, undermining automakers’ push to weaken the ZEV Mandate. The government’s new EV-specific road tax and VAT on public charging may dampen demand just as the market nears a tipping point.
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