UK car market posts best June performance since COVID-19

• Battery electric vehicles take 30% market share but remain below 33% target for year

The UK new car market recorded its strongest June performance since the COVID-19 pandemic, as registrations rose 11.4% year-on-year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said Monday.

New car registrations reached 213,166 units last month, compared with 191,316 in June 2025, marking the best performance for the month since 2019.

The growth was supported by rising demand for electrified vehicles. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations increased 35% to 63,950 units, giving fully electric cars a 30% market share, the highest level so far this year.

Hybrid electric vehicle registrations rose 25.3% to 29,874 units, while plug-in hybrid registrations climbed 24.9% to 26,702.

By contrast, petrol car registrations fell 4% to 84,541 units, while diesel registrations dropped 24.4% to 8,099.

The SMMT said the overall market grew 9.2% in the first half of the year to 1.14 million units. BEVs accounted for 25% of total registrations in January-June, still below the UK’s 33% target for 2026.

The industry body said BEVs would need to exceed 40% of new registrations over the rest of the year to meet the target outright.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said June’s performance showed electric vehicle uptake was growing, but added that even record levels were not enough to meet mandated targets.

He said reforming the mandate was essential to keep the transition on track, protect the UK’s competitiveness, attract investment and safeguard jobs.

Tesla Model Y was the best-selling model in June with 6,765 units, followed by Tesla Model 3 and Ford Puma.