The UK electric vehicle revolution has reached a major milestone with over two million EVs now on UK roads.

The landmark moment was revealed in new statistics posted today (29 April 2026) showing that the number of electric cars in the UK is up 15% on last year, with March 2026 seeing the highest demand ever recorded.

Demand for EVs has been boosted by the Government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG), which has now helped over 100,000 drivers save up to £3,750 off a new EV. The ECG is breaking down one of the key barriers to drivers making the switch to electric by slashing the upfront cost of an EV. Demand for EVs surged 10% in the six months from when the Electric Car Grant launched in July 2025.

Thanks to the Electric Car Grant, as well as manufacturing discounting, electric cars are now cheaper to buy, on average, than petrol models for the first time, according to recent figures from Autotrader.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said news that over two million EVs are now registered across the UK was a key moment in the UK’s transition to electric, backed by £7.5bn in government funding.

“We’ve made it cheaper and easier than ever to buy an EV, helping over 100,000 drivers save up to £3,750 off the cost of a new electric car. We’re also investing £600m to deliver hundreds of thousands of additional chargers to support this uptick and build on the 119,000 already available – that’s twice the number of petrol pumps.”

Renters, landlords and businesses can also now claim up to £500 off an electric charger, covering around half the cost of installation, under current charger grants. This means drivers can save up to an estimated £1,400 a year on running costs, as compared to a petrol car when accessing cheaper domestic electricity rates.

Ginny Buckley, chief executive of Electrifying.com, also said take-up had been boosted by a wave of “genuinely compelling electric cars with longer range, faster charging and broader choice than ever before”.

Many in the EV and charging sector also used the milestone moment to supercharge appeals for the Government to remain firm on the ZEV mandate targets and consistent, unified EV-focused policies.

Tanya Sinclair, CEO of Electric Vehicles UK, said: “Two million electric vehicles in the UK shows that if the market offers choice, value and availability, drivers will snap it up. Policies and incentives all need to point drivers towards EVs too, which is why the Electric Car Grant has put 100,000 more people behind the wheel, who might otherwise have waited. It is now more important than ever for government to build on these foundations with cohesive policy. If it does, the market and the next two million EVs will follow.”

Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said two million registered EV was a significant milestone in the UK’s transition to net zero emissions.

“These two million drivers are now protected from these sudden jumps in oil price, with many saving hundreds, even thousands, of pounds a year. And that’s two million cars for which the UK is not having to import oil from abroad, instead using an increasing amount of electricity generated by British wind and solar farms. Calls from parts of the car industry to slow down the UK’s switch to EVs risk leaving drivers worse off and the UK less energy secure.”

Jarrod Birch, head of policy and public affairs at the ChargeUK association for charging firms, called for the Government “to hit the accelerator pedal on the EV transition, not hit the brake by watering down manufacturers’ sales quotas”.

He added: “It can do so by fixing the policy issues pushing up public charging costs, ensuring millions more can make the switch and get off the fossil fuel price rollercoaster.”

And Vicky Edmonds, CEO for EVA England, said: “Two million EVs is a huge milestone and shows what’s possible when the right incentives are in place.

“But this can’t just be about targets and big headline numbers. Getting the transition right means reaching the people who’ve so far been left out. Particularly those without easy access to home charging who face higher costs, and many middle- and lower-income households.

“That’s what will ultimately determine whether this shift works for everyday drivers, not just those already able to make the switch.”