World Post
Britain’s electric car market has just had its busiest month yet, with almost 100,000 new EVs registered in September 2026. The new figures, which show the Chinese-made Jaecoo 7 was the best-selling new car in September, were announced as the average price of a litre of diesel in the UK passed £2 for the first time on Friday . A total of 99,199 all- electric cars were registered last month - up 36.3 per cent on September last year.
That gave EVs a 28.3 per cent of the market – more than one in four new cars, and five percentage points ahead of a year earlier. By contrast, diesel cars now account for just 4 per cent of the market. More choice, manufacturer discounts and the government’s Electric Car Grant helped convert EV buyers, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The Jaecoo 7 took top spot for the second time this year with 10,813 registrations, while Tesla’s Model 3 took second place in the overall new car sales chart. Ford’s Puma was third with 6,958, followed by the Kia Sportage on 6,521 and Tesla’s Model Y on 5,946, putting two Teslas among September’s five biggest sellers. The Tesla Model 3 secured second place in the September sales chart, with the Tesla Model Y in fifth (Steve Fowler) The Nissan Qashqai, Vauxhall Corsa, Volkswagen Golf, MG HS and Audi A3 completed the monthly top ten.
Just two registrations separated the seventh-placed Corsa from the Golf, with 5,498 and 5,496 respectively. There’s a different leader when you look at the year so far. The Ford Puma heads the table with 42,926 registrations, giving it a 3,453-car lead over the Jaecoo 7 on 39,473.
The Kia Sportage is third with 37,085, ahead of the Nissan Qashqai on 33,082, while the Tesla Model 3 sits ninth with 23,704. The wider new car market had a busy September, too, with registrations rising 12.1 per cent to 350,518. That made it the strongest September since 2017 and the tenth consecutive month of growth.
Private buyers accounted for 149,158 registrations, up 13.9 per cent, while fleets remained the biggest part of the market with 190,988, an increase of 9.6 per cent. The SMMT puts much of the growth down to competition between car makers, including new arrivals, as well as extra choice and attractive deals. It says those offers are also tempting people who might otherwise have bought a used car into a new one instead.
For anyone shopping for an EV, there’s now more choice than ever. The number of fully electric models on sale has more than doubled since 2023 to reach 178, with the SMMT highlighting the growing choice of smaller electric models. There are also more than 110 plug-in hybrid models and 50 conventional hybrids currently available.
Mike Hawes , SMMT chief executive, said: “September’s record EV performance is a major achievement. Drivers are increasingly embracing the growing choice of models made available and high fuel prices are also undoubtedly giving more consumers reason to consider going electric.” Plug-in hybrids also set records for registrations and market share, with numbers jumping 55.7 per cent and their share reaching 17 per cent. Conventional hybrid registrations fell 4.2 per cent, leaving them with 13.1 per cent of the market.
Together, all-electric cars and both types of hybrid accounted for a record 58.4 per cent of registrations. Across the first nine months of 2026, 454,945 new electric cars were registered, giving them a 26.2 per cent share. That’s below the year’s headline 33 per cent ZEV Mandate target, although car makers have flexibility in how they meet their obligations.
The SMMT says reaching a 33 per cent electric share would require about another 265,000 EV registrations between October and December, based on its forecast for the full-year market. It’s calling for the Mandate review to bring targets more closely into line with demand.
Source: The Independent
