Record EV sales in September. Still not enough
A record 99,201 new battery electric cars were registered in the UK in September, 28.3% of the market. But the year-to-date share is 26.2%, well short of the 33% mandate.
Britain registered a record 99,201 new battery electric cars in September 2026, according to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) on 5 October. That's 28.3% of all new cars, up from 23.3% a year earlier. September is always a big month because of the new number plate. It was also the best September for the market as a whole since 2017.
It's a genuine milestone. It's also still not enough to hit the target carmakers are legally required to meet this year.
Despite all these factors, uptake remains behind mandated targets and, whilst flexibilities help, the UK still has the world's toughest targets and highest energy costs.
— Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive
A record month in numbers
The SMMT says 350,536 new cars were registered in September, up 12% on last year and the tenth month of growth in a row. Battery electric registrations rose 36.3%, which the SMMT describes as "almost five new BEVs registered every minute". Plug-in hybrids grew even faster, up 55.5% to a 17% share, while ordinary hybrids slipped. In all, electrified cars of one kind or another made up a record 58.4% of the market.
Private buyers, often the slowest to switch, were up 13.9%. The SMMT credits "unprecedented model choice, especially in the smaller segments, compelling discounts and government's Electric Car Grant". Electric Cars Report, which reached the same figures, notes that there are now 178 battery electric models on sale, more than double the number in 2023.
Why a record still falls short
Under the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, battery electric cars should make up 33% of each manufacturer's new car sales in 2026. Carmakers can use flexibilities, such as borrowing credits from future years or buying them from other brands, to soften that, but 33% is the headline figure.
So far this year, 454,947 new battery electric cars have been registered, 26.2% of the total. The SMMT says that's "significantly below the 33% mandated for 2026 and behind even last year's target of 28%". Electric Cars Report estimates that closing the gap would need roughly 265,000 more electric registrations in the last three months of the year. December alone won't do that.
The SMMT's message hasn't changed: demand is growing, but not as fast as the rules assume. It's pushing for changes through the government's review of the mandate, which Hawes calls "an opportunity to review those factors". He also credits high fuel prices with giving more drivers "reason to consider going electric".
Ada's take: progress is real, so is the pressure
It's worth pausing on how quickly this has moved. Five years ago an electric car was a niche choice. In September 2026 more than one new car in four was fully electric, and nearly three in five had a plug or a battery of some kind. That isn't hype. It's registrations, counted one by one.
But the mandate isn't asking for "growing quickly". It's asking for a specific share, and carmakers that miss it face pressure, credit trading or both. That's what's behind the discounting: some of the deals buyers are enjoying are being paid for by brands trying to hit a quota rather than by falling battery costs alone. For buyers, that makes autumn a good time to haggle. For the industry, it's not a sustainable way to run a market.
The other thing to watch is the second-hand market. Many of those September company cars and lease cars will come back as affordable used EVs in three or four years, which is where most households actually buy.
To be fair to the carmakers
The SMMT is a lobby group, and it wants softer targets. That doesn't make it wrong. Manufacturers can't control electricity prices, charger roll-out or how confident drivers feel, and they've put a huge range of models on sale. Hitting 33% means persuading private buyers who are still weighing up range, running costs and the price of charging away from home. Missing it in a record month isn't a sign of failure. It shows how steep the target is.
Mind the hype. Five electric cars a minute is a record. The mandate wanted six.
Sources: SMMT · Electric Cars Report