9:32 am, October 2, 2026
The UK new car market grew by more than 12% in September as private buyers returned to showrooms and intense competition helped deliver the strongest plate-change month since 2017.
A total of 350,518 new cars were registered during September, according to preliminary figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, up 12.1% on the same month last year.
It marked the market’s 10th consecutive month of growth, with September remaining one of the industry’s most important trading periods and typically accounting for around one in seven annual registrations.
The SMMT said growth was being driven in large part by intense competition, particularly from new entrants, alongside greater model choice and attractive offers.
It added that those deals were encouraging some customers into new cars who may otherwise have bought used vehicles.
Private registrations rose 13.9% to 149,158, increasing their market share from 41.9% a year ago to 42.6%.
Fleet demand was also up, rising 9.6% to 190,988 cars, although its market share slipped from 55.7% to 54.5%.
Registrations by smaller business buyers climbed 37.6% to 10,372.
The September result takes total registrations for the first nine months of 2026 to 1,739,253, up 10.2% on the same period last year.
Private registrations are up 12.8% year to date, compared with an 8% increase in fleet registrations.
Electrified cars played a major role in the September increase, accounting for a record 58.4% of registrations.
Battery electric vehicle registrations rose 36.3% to 99,199, giving EVs a 28.3% share of the market, while plug-in hybrid registrations jumped 55.7% to 59,563, equivalent to a record 17% share.
Hybrid registrations fell 4.2% to 45,838, while petrol registrations were down 6.7% to 131,861.
Diesel was the only combustion fuel type to grow, rising 11.5% to 14,057 registrations.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said September’s record EV performance was a ‘major achievement’, with buyers responding to a greater choice of models, manufacturer incentives and higher fuel prices.
However, he warned that EV uptake remained behind mandated levels despite the rapid growth in registrations.
He 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.
‘The industry’s commitment is clear with billions of pounds of investment in new models, new technology and incentives.
‘Despite all these factors, uptake remains behind mandated targets and, whilst flexibilities help, the UK still has the world’s toughest targets and highest energy costs.
‘The Mandate review is an opportunity to review those factors, to build on this momentum and support consumers but, in doing so, strengthen business viability and UK competitiveness.’
Year-to-date, 454,945 BEVs have been registered, accounting for 26.2% of the market, compared with the 33% headline target set under the 2026 Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
September’s total of 350,518 registrations was the highest for the month since 2017, when 426,170 new cars were registered.