UK electric car sales reached 99,199 in September 2026

The UK recorded 99,199 electric car sales in September 2026, a 36 percent year-on-year increase. Battery electric cars accounted for 28.3 percent of new car sales, according to figures reported by CleanTechnica. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders attributed the increase to model choice, discounts and the electric car grant.

The figures describe sales during September and do not establish a legal or regulatory decision. They indicate a larger share for battery electric cars, while leaving the reported market comparison and policy effects to be read with care.

Battery electric cars gain share

A 28.3 percent share puts battery electric cars within reach of the 37.6 percent share attributed to gasoline-powered cars in the source account. Those figures describe separate powertrain categories within new car sales. The available material does not define the measurement method or provide an underlying data release. Readers should therefore treat the comparison as reported rather than as an independently assessed market calculation.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said overall new car sales rose more than 12 percent in September. It also said September was the tenth consecutive month of increases in new car sales. That broader movement provides context for the electric car result, but the source does not quantify how much of the overall increase came from battery electric cars. The reported figures cover sales, not registrations, production or deliveries.

Hawes points to choice and costs

Mike Hawes, identified as the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders chief executive, described the electric car performance as a record. He said the expanding range of models was encouraging drivers to consider electric vehicles. Hawes also cited high fuel prices as a reason for consumer interest. These are the organisation’s stated explanations, rather than a breakdown of individual purchasing decisions.

The organisation also pointed to discounts and the government’s electric car grant. The source says model choice has expanded especially in smaller segments, but provides no model count for September. It does not state the grant’s value, eligibility rules or duration. No company response or separate comment from manufacturers appears in the supplied reporting, so their positions cannot be set out here.

Sales figures span powertrains

The source account lists the Tesla Model 3 at 9,929 sales and the Tesla Model Y at 5,946. BYD Sealion 7 sales were given as 3,191, while BYD Seal sales were 3,184. Kia EV3 sales were reported at 3,026. Those named models form the first five entries in the source’s ranking of the ten best-selling electric vehicle models.

Skoda Enyaq was listed at 2,214, Volvo EX30 at 1,961, Mercedes CLA at 1,921, Skoda Elroq at 1,897 and Leapmotor B10 at 1,883. The supplied material gives no methodology for the ranking and does not identify a regulator responsible for compiling it. It also reports hybrid sales down 4.2 percent, with 13 percent market share. Plug-in hybrid sales rose almost 56 percent and held 17 percent share; hybrids, electric cars and plug-in hybrids together represented 58.4 percent.

The account supplies sales figures and attributed explanations, but no formal legal stage, regulator finding or published policy assessment. The underlying dataset and the precise basis for the reported shares remain unspecified in the material provided. Further reporting can establish whether the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders releases additional detail on model availability, discounts and the grant. The next relevant step is to compare subsequent monthly figures and any fuller data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.