The UK registered 156,571 new cars in July 2026, an 11.7% increase on July 2025 and the strongest July since 2019, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. It was the market's eighth consecutive month of growth.
Battery-electric grew four times faster than the market
Battery-electric registrations rose 44.5% to 43,106 units, taking 27.5% of the July market. Plug-in hybrids grew 33.6% to 23,359, while conventional hybrids increased 11.6% to 20,711. Petrol declined 5.2% and diesel fell 17.7%. The month's growth came entirely from electrified powertrains.
One in four new cars is electric in 2026
Through July, the UK registered 327,683 battery-electric cars, up 28.7% year on year. BEVs now account for 25.31% of the year-to-date market. Total registrations reached 1,294,499, up 9.5%, with private demand rising faster than fleet demand in July.
A record month still leaves a target gap
The SMMT's latest outlook expects 2.18 million new car registrations in 2026 and a 27.4% full-year BEV share. That would be a new high, but it remains below the 33% Zero Emission Vehicle mandate target. Manufacturers are supporting demand through model choice, discounts, and the Electric Car Grant, while the required market share continues to rise faster than consumer adoption.
Source and next signal
The figures come from the SMMT's official July 2026 release. Open the live UK dashboard to compare July with the monthly registration and fuel-type history.