The record result came in the first month of the new license plate year and was bolstered by a growing range of electric models, manufacturer incentives and the government’s electric vehicle subsidy (ECG) scheme.
According to the Society, this means that BEV registrations in the UK reached 454,945 in the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 30.2 per cent on the same period last year. Its market share so far this year now stands at 26.2 percent, compared to 20.2 percent at the same time in 2025.
Tesla’s Model 3 was the best-selling BEV in the UK last month with 9,929 registrations, followed by the Model Y, BYD Sealion 7, BYD Seal and Kia EV3 in that order. All this emerges from the preliminary data from the SMMT that will be published on Monday, when the complete and final figures will be published.
Commenting on the September results, the SMMT said they demonstrate the potential for further growth in the electric car market, but warned that the adoption rate remains below the level required by the UK’s ZEV mandate, which requires a 33 per cent BEV share of new car sales in 2026.
“According to the latest industry outlook for a market of 2.183 million units, a 33 percent share would require an additional 265,000 new BEV registrations in the last quarter alone, illustrating how, despite the range of regulatory flexibilities available, targets continue to outstrip demand,” the Society explained.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, added: “September’s record electric vehicle performance is a significant achievement. Drivers are increasingly embracing the growing range of models available and high fuel prices are also certainly giving more consumers reason to consider switching to electric vehicles.
“The industry’s commitment is clear with billions of pounds of investment in new models, new technology and incentives. Despite all these factors, adoption remains behind set targets and while flexibilities help, the UK still has the toughest targets and highest energy costs in the world.”
Beyond BEVs, the SMMT report also published promising data for plug-in hybrids; PHEVs recorded their strongest monthly result in September, accounting for 17 percent of the market and registrations increased 55.7 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, conventional hybrids fell 4.2 percent, to 45,838 units.
Overall, BEVs, PHEVs and conventional hybrids together accounted for 58.4 percent of all new car registrations in September. This is in the context of the car market itself, which grew 12.1 percent to 350,518 units, marking its strongest September since 2017.
smmt.co.uk
