Electric car sales rose sharply in the UK in August, with battery electric vehicles becoming the country’s highest-selling type of car during the month.
Registrations rose by around 30% from a year earlier, according to data reported by New AutoMotive. A total of 27,876 battery electric cars were registered, giving the segment almost 30% of all new car registrations and making it its strongest August to date.
The wider car sector grew too, with total registrations rising 17.5% year-on-year to 93,977 vehicles.
More than 366,000 electric vehicles have joined UK roads so far this year. Battery electric cars now account for a quarter of all new registrations in the year to date.
Hybrid vehicles made up around 29% of registrations, compared with about 21.5% for petrol-powered cars. The figures point to a continued shift towards electric and other lower-emission vehicles.
Battery electric registrations have now outpaced the trajectory set by the government’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate for three consecutive months.
The government is reviewing rules designed to increase the share of zero-emission vehicles sold by carmakers. Introduced in 2024, the mandate requires a third of new car sales to be fully electric this year.
That target is due to rise to 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. A consultation running until October 23 is examining whether targets between 2027 and 2035 should be eased.
Tesla remains the largest player in the UK’s battery electric vehicle sector, although its share has fallen from last year. Kia ranked second, followed by China’s BYD.
Kia recorded the highest number of battery electric registrations for the second consecutive month. Electric models also accounted for a record 45% of its total registrations.
