UK new car registrations rose 11.7% in July 2026, with record July BEV volume and a 27.5% share

Latest data: SMMT has since published August 2026. Read the newer report. This page is kept as the record for its month.

The UK registered 156,571 new cars in July 2026, up 11.7% on July 2025 and the best July since 2019, with battery-electric vehicles taking 27.5% of the month on 43,106 registrations, up 44.5% and a record volume for the month (SMMT, 5 August 2026). July sits between the two plate-change peaks, so a double-digit gain in a structurally quiet month is the part of the release worth reading twice.

July 2026 headline numbers

Metric	July 2026	Share
Total new car registrations	156,571	+11.7% YoY
BEV	43,106	27.5%
PHEV	23,359	14.9%
HEV	20,711	13.2%
Petrol	62,799	40.1%
Diesel	6,596	4.2%

Year to date, January to July 2026

Metric	YTD 2026	Share
Total registrations	1,294,499	+9.5%
BEV	327,683	25.31%
PHEV	171,491	13.25%
HEV	182,387	14.09%
Petrol	553,794	42.78%
Diesel	59,144	4.57%

The mandate gap has not closed

The Zero Emission Vehicle mandate asks manufacturers for a 33% battery-electric share across calendar 2026. The year to date sits at 25.31%. Industry forecasts quoted by the SMMT put the full year near 27.4% on a 2.18 million market, which leaves a gap of roughly six points that flexibilities and credit transfers have to absorb. Strong growth and a missed target are not contradictory statements here, they are the same market described from two sides. Later data: September 2026 reached a 28.3% BEV share and the year to date 26.2%, on SMMT's preliminary September figures.

Why September matters

September is the second plate-change month and normally the year's second largest. Plate months amplify whatever powertrain mix the dealer network is pushing, so September is the cleanest available read on whether July's 27.5% reflects underlying demand or mandate-driven discounting.

Source and methodology

Figures from the SMMT July 2026 release, published 5 August 2026, and independently corroborated by electrive. Powertrain definitions follow SMMT classification. The live trend chart, brand share and powertrain mix sit on the UK dashboard.