New vehicle licensing statistics released by the Department for Transport show the rapid advancement of electric car adoption, particularly following this year’s pump-price roller coaster.

The data, which compares 2026 Q1 (January to March) with the same period for 2025, shows there were 769,000 vehicles registered for the first time, an increase of 5.1%.

This includes 150,000 zero-emission vehicles registered for the first time, an increase of 12.9%, with 146,000 being road using.

Of this, 138,000 zero-emission cars were registered for the first time, an increase of 14.5%.

At the end of March 2026, compared to March 2025, in the UK there were 42.4 million licensed vehicles, up 1.3%. This includes 2,148,000 licensed zero-emission vehicles, an increase of 29.6%, with 2,007,000 marked as being road using. There were also 1,864,000 zero-emission cars, an increase of 32.9%.

At the end of March 2026, zero-emission vehicles accounted for 5.1% of all licensed vehicles, an increase of 1.1 percentage points compared to March 2025.

Latest figures revealed by the AA also show a 30.7% increase in road vehicles’ electricity consumption between 2024 and 2025. In the first quarter of this year, electricity used by EVs jumped a further 28.1%.

The rise in zero-emission vehicle take-up comes as petrol and diesel pump-price averages continue to rise. This week has seen petrol reach 151.4p a litre, up 0.6p from last week’s six-week low, while diesel now averages 165.2p after being as low as 164.8p last week.

So far this year, UK car owners have had to face forecourt prices as high as 159.7p for petrol in late May and 192.4p for diesel in mid-April.

Jack Cousens, AA head of roads policy, said: “This year, car owners who can afford to switch to electric cars have said ‘enough is enough’ and converted to power from the grid over petrol from the forecourt. The AA EV Readiness Index showed that even those with less money available have been looking at ways to switch more cheaply: searches on AA Cars for used EVs have increased 78% in the last three months compared to the previous three months.”

Close Brothers Motor Finance said the vehicle licensing statistics further reinforce that the UK’s shift towards electric vehicles is continuing to build momentum. Latest new car registration data reveals that ZEVs now account for more than one in five new car registrations.

John Cassidy, managing director at Close Brothers Motor Finance, added: “The growth in licensed ZEVs on UK roads – up almost a third year-on-year – shows that more drivers are embracing electric motoring. Our own research supports this trend, with 13% of drivers planning to make an EV their next vehicle, highlighting continued interest in making the switch.

“While it’s too early to say whether this momentum will continue at the same pace, the figures point to a positive outlook for the market. A wider choice of models, more finance options/products, more competitive manufacturer offers and increasing familiarity with EV ownership are all helping to build consumer confidence.”