The UK new car market has posted its best start to a year since pre-pandemic 2020 but battery electric cars lost market share as demand shifted to plug-in hybrids.
Vehicle production in the UK fell 15.5% last year as uncertainty over tariffs and the cyber-attack at JLR added to a “tough year for auto”.
Maria Bengtsson, EY UK & Ireland mobility leader, comments on the SMMT new car registration figures for 2025, which rebounded in December as the impact of pre-Budget uncertainty faded.
The UK new car market grew for the third year in a row in 2025, breaching the two million mark for the first time since the pandemic, with 2,020,520 new car registrations,
UK registrations of new LCVs plummeted by more than a fifth (22.2%) in November, although battery electric van uptake soared.
Electric car demand rose again in November, accounting for over a quarter of new car sales.
The UK automotive industry has urged the Government to rethink “fiscal policies that threaten the UK’s new car market”, ahead of today’s Autumn Budget speech in the Commons.
The UK’s used car market continued its growth streak in the third quarter, aided by soaring battery electric vehicle (BEV) uptake.
UK deliveries of new LCVs dropped 15.1% in October, reflecting a contraction in fleet renewals.
The UK new car market remained stable in October, despite a slight drop in fleet registrations, as battery electric vehicles drove growth.
The UK’s new LCV market fell 2.1% in September despite the shift to the new ‘75’ numberplate.
The UK new car market roared to its best September in five years on the back of swelling fleet and electric vehicle demand.
The number of EV-qualified technicians in the UK continues to grow but experts still predict a shortfall by 2035.
The UK new van market shrank again in August with a 13.3% decline but demand for electric vans rocketed.
The new car market dropped 2.0% in August as the fleet market fell and buyers held out to secure the ’75 plate in September.
The new light commercial vehicle market fell for the eighth month running in July, while electric van uptake soared.
New car registrations in the UK rose for the second month running in June on the back of strong fleet demand and soaring electric vehicle take-up.
New light commercial vehicle registrations fell for the sixth month running in May as weak business confidence held back fleet investment.
The UK’s new car market returned to growth in May as demand for electric vehicles soared.
UK fleet and private drivers have a record choice of electrified models with four in five new cars available as battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or hybrid – and almost two