Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) made up 30% of the new car market in June, according to the latest figures from independent research organisation New AutoMotive.
According to New AutoMotive, this marks one of the strongest months for electric vehicle market share on record outside of seasonal December spikes, showing that consumer demand is accelerating, supported by government policies such as the Electric Car Grant and a wider range of affordable electric cars.
In total, 64,000 new electric cars were registered in June, representing a 37.7% year-on-year increase. When combined with Plug-in Hybrids, which took 12.1% of the market, more than four in 10 new cars registered in the UK now feature a plug.
For the year-to-date, BEVs have accounted for 24.9% of all new car registrations in 2026, with over 287,000 electric cars joining UK roads in the first half of the year – a 21% increase compared to the first half of 2025.
The light commercial vehicle market also enjoyed a strong month, with electric vans capturing an 11.8% market share. This represents a 19% growth in volume compared to June last year, continuing a positive trend of businesses adopting electric models to insulate themselves from volatile fuel prices.
Ben Nelmes, CEO at New AutoMotive, said:
“June’s data shows that electric cars are rapidly becoming the mainstream choice for British drivers. With one in three new cars registered in June being fully electric, motorists are switching at an extraordinary pace. “As petrol and diesel sales continue their steady, structural decline, it’s clear that drivers are voting with their wallets. EVs offer families and businesses lower and predictable running costs, a superior driving experience, and an escape from the volatile global oil markets that have squeezed household budgets for too long.”
Gurjeet Grewal, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles, said:
“Just a decade ago, less than 1% of new car buyers were choosing electric – now it’s nearly a third. That shows how far and how fast the market has moved. EVs have gone mainstream because the case is clear: many new models are now at price parity with petrol cars, while second-hand EVs are often even cheaper. With lower running costs, cheaper charging and tax savings, for more drivers the maths simply stacks up.”
Ginny Buckley, the chief executive of Electrifying.com, the electric car buying and advice site said:
“These figures show a car market that may finally be regaining the momentum it enjoyed before the pandemic, with EVs leading the charge. Buyers are making sensible, practical decisions – choosing electric because they’re cheaper to run, better to drive and protect them from volatile fuel prices. That’s good news not just for consumers, but for dealers too. Electric cars are no longer the alternative, but are becoming the mainstream choice.”
Delvin Lane, CEO, InstaVolt:
“30% market share doesn’t happen without confidence in the charging network behind it. Every month that coverage, reliability and utilisation data improves, driver hesitation drops with it. We’re seeing that translate directly into registrations. The network is doing its job. Consumers are driving demand as they switch to EVs which are loaded with tech, better to drive, and save drivers money. Honestly, there’s never been a better time to make the switch; car manufacturers, take note!”
John Lewis, CEO, char.gy:
“Hitting 30% is brilliant, but the real story is what’s next. This growth has been powered by drivers with a driveway and access to home charging. Now we need to bring that same convenience to the two in five UK households who park on the street – that’s the next chapter of this transition.”
Tanya Sinclair, CEO, Electric Vehicles UK:
“Almost one in three new cars sold last month were fully electric. We’ve hit themainstream. The infrastructure is scaling, the choice of models is widening in every segment and the cost of running these cars is lower. For drivers, that means lower bills, fewer forecourt visits, and a smoother, quieter drive. Government just needs to align itself with the British motorist’s direction of travel – not certain carmakers lack of ambition – towards an electric future.”
Colin Walker, Head of Transport at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said:
“Halfway through the year, and EV sales continue to go from strength to strength. The car industry, as a whole, is on track to comply with its EV sales targets in 2026, just as it did in 2024 and 2025. Together with the general buoyancy of the UK new car market, this all puts claims by parts of the car industry that they are struggling in a different light.
“Just as they have done with solar panels, the British public are now clearly embracing another net zero technology, with electric cars helping them save money during a cost-of-living crisis and insulate themselves against volatile oil and gas prices. By incentivising competition between manufacturers, the ZEV mandate is bringing EV sticker prices down – helping regular families cut their driving bills as new cars sold under the mandate pass on to the second-hand market.
“The risk for the government of weakening the mandate is twofold. Firstly, you create another dieselgate situation where manufacturers are incentivised to sell more plug-in hybrids which typically cost more to buy than EVs, and significantly more to run that their manufacturers claim. Secondly, since 75% of cars made in the UK are exported, and the world is clearly only moving in one direction on EVs, there is a risk of a repeat of the mistakes of the 70s and 80s when a failure to modernise in the face of competition from abroad decimated the UK car industry, costing thousands of jobs.”
Vicky Edmonds, CEO of EVA England, says:
“This is another exceptionally strong month for EVs and further proof that drivers are increasingly choosing electric. The ZEV Mandate is doing exactly what it was designed to do: bringing more of the electric vehicles drivers want onto the market. The real test now is turning this momentum into a transition that works for everyone. That means making EV ownership more accessible to drivers who still face the biggest barriers, through fairer and more affordable public charging and a stronger used EV market.”
Image courtesy of Green Car Guide.
