Almost 100,000 privately owned electric vehicles were added to UK roads between Q1 and Q2 2026, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the country’s overall EV growth.

The surge in EV ownership, revealed by the AA in its analysis of the latest Department for Transport figures, comes as soaring pump prices accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels.

Lower running costs for drivers who can charge at home, a narrowing price gap between used electric and petrol cars, along with record-high petrol and diesel prices are combining to strengthen the financial case for going electric.

England recorded by far the largest increase in private EV ownership, with 85,573 added during the three months. Across all four UK nations, private EVs over the time period totalled 99,563. A further 113 vehicles are recorded in the government data as ‘Region or county unknown’, taking the UK increase to 99,676.

The surge in private ownership helped take the total number of electric cars registered to private and company owners to 2,016,968 at the end of June, up from 1,864,014 at the end of March. Overall, 152,954 electric cars were added during the quarter, an increase of 8.2%.

The AA said financial incentives are reaching a tipping point where mainstream buyers can no longer overlook them. According to HMRC’s latest advisory rates, an electric car charged at home costs approximately 7p per mile in electricity, compared with 17p per mile for a petrol car with an engine between 1,401cc and 2,000cc. For a driver covering 10,000 miles, that represents a potential saving of around £1,000 on the cost of powering the car compared with the petrol needed to cover the same distance.

The findings are supported by the AA’s latest EV Readiness Index, which found that home charging was 66% cheaper per mile than petrol during the third quarter of 2026.

That incentive is now stronger than ever following a government move to axe planning permission for cross-pavement charging channels, which means more drivers can benefit from low home charging rates, helped by the temporary 0% VAT rate on domestic electricity bills, which runs until April 2027.

At the same time, used EVs are becoming more affordable. The latest EV Readiness Index found comparable used electric cars were, on average, just 1% more expensive than their petrol equivalents in Q3 2026, significantly narrowing the purchase-price gap.

More drivers are also looking at used electric cars. Views of used EV listings on AA Cars jumped 49.6% in September compared with the same month last year and were 37% higher than in August.

Electric vehicles accounted for 9.3% of all listing views on AA Cars during September, compared with 4.6% in January. The average advertised price of an EV viewed on AA Cars in September was £21,490, while the median was £18,830.

The growing affordability of used EVs is also discussed in the first episode of new podcast The Road Ahead with the AA, which looks at the electric vehicle market and what drivers should consider when thinking about making the switch.

Edmund King, AA president, said the potential savings from going electric are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, helping to accelerate interest among private drivers.

“We’re now seeing more private drivers making that choice. Almost 100,000 privately owned EVs were added in just three months, accounting for almost two thirds of the overall increase in electric cars. This isn’t simply a company and fleet story.

“The price gap between comparable used electric and petrol cars has also narrowed considerably, giving drivers more choice at a range of budgets.”

But he said access to affordable charging remains crucial.

“Drivers who rely heavily on ultra-rapid public charging won’t necessarily see the same savings, so we need to make sure the benefits of going electric are available to as many drivers as possible.”

While EVs can save drivers money, the AA says it is important to think about where they will charge before making the switch.

The EV Readiness Index found that ultra-rapid public charging was around 15% more expensive per mile than petrol during Q3 2026.

Drivers who can plug in at home, particularly those using cheaper overnight electricity tariffs, stand to make the biggest savings.