Almost 100,000 new BEVs were registered in a single month, the highest ever recorded, according to new figures from New AutoMotive.
Registrations rose by 37.5% compared with September 2025, giving BEVs a 28.2% share of the new car market.
A total of 99,827 new BEVs were registered last month, as diesel prices hit £2 a litre, amid the ongoing fuel crisis due to the Middle East conflict.
The record came in a strong month for the market overall, which grew 12.5% year-on-year in the plate-change month – with BEVs still growing their share.
So far this year, more than 469,000 BEVs have joined UK roads, accounting for 26.1% of all new car registrations.
BEV sales continue to run ahead of the ZEV mandate trajectory, with New AutoMotive estimating the effective 2026 market-wide target, after accounting for scheme flexibilities, at 24.9%, compared with a year-to-date BEV share of 26.1%.
Electric vans also set a new record, with 4,826 registered in September, up 8.7% on September 2025. BEV share dipped slightly to 9.7% because the wider van market had a strong plate-change month, but electric vans now hold a 10.9% share of the market year to date.
Ben Nelmes, CEO at New AutoMotive, said:
“”September is the biggest month of the year for car sales, and this one was the best ever for electric cars: almost 100,000 registered, up more than a third on last year.
“With fuel prices at £2 a litre, drivers are voting with their wallets. Every one of those cars means a household spending less on running costs and a country less exposed to the next oil price shock.
“The ZEV mandate is working. With the cost of living at the top of the political agenda, ministers would be ill-advised to weaken a policy that is putting cheaper motoring within reach of millions of households.”
Melanie Lane, CEO of Pod:
“We’ve been saying for a long time that drivers recognise the economics of going electric and that consumer demand is taking off. Now every month the figures demonstrate that story, with EV registrations up 36% on last September’s plate change.
It’s no coincidence that this comes as diesel hits £2 a litre for the first time. There’s nothing positive about households and businesses facing those costs, but it makes the case for owning an EV stronger than ever now costs are not only lower, but more predictable and easier to manage. It should also help illustrate to Government that we need to accelerate electrification to help UK consumers, rather than risk slowing it down by watering down the ZEV mandate.”
Delvin Lane, CEO, InstaVolt, said:
“Nearly 100,000 electric cars hitting Britain’s roads in a single month is a landmark moment. The argument that drivers aren’t ready for electric is becoming harder to sustain. Our job now, as the UK’s largest ultra-rapid EV network, is to deliver even more sites for drivers to charge at. Every one of these new EV drivers needs confidence that there is reliable, easy-to-use infrastructure, not just today but for the decade ahead. The cars are arriving at scale, and the charging network has to be ready for them.”
Gurjeet Grewal, CEO of Octopus Electric Vehicles:
“This is what a tipping point looks like. Almost 100,000 electric cars in a month shows Britain is choosing a new way to drive. With charging now up to nine times cheaper than fuelling a petrol car, the maths is becoming impossible to ignore – especially with diesel hitting £2 a litre. Drivers are looking for ways to shield themselves from the next fossil fuel price hike, and electric is the obvious answer.”
Tanya Sinclair, CEO, Electric Vehicles UK:
“Nearly 100,000 electric cars sold in a single month should end the debate about whether drivers want EVs. They do, in record numbers. The fact that government is even considering weakening policy in this area shows just how badly it risks falling out of step with public opinion. Drivers are moving forward. Government needs to keep up.”
Image courtesy of Green Car Guide
