05.08.202608:09:16UTC+00UK New Car Sales Post Strongest July Since 2019

UK new car registrations climbed 11.7% year-on-year in July 2026 to 156,571 units, the strongest July performance since 2019, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This marked the eighth consecutive month of growth, underscoring the market’s ongoing recovery toward pre-pandemic levels.

Registrations rose across all buyer segments. Private registrations increased 12.6%, while fleet sales advanced 9.5%, bringing fleets’ share to 59.9% of the market. Lower-volume business registrations recorded the sharpest rise, surging 61.3%.

Electrified vehicles remained the main engine of growth. Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations jumped 44.5% to a record July total, lifting their market share to 27.5%. Plug-in hybrid and hybrid registrations grew 33.6% and 11.6%, respectively, to account for 14.9% and 13.2% of the market.

The SMMT now forecasts that BEVs will represent 27.4% of total registrations in 2026—an improvement on previous years but still short of the UK government’s 33% zero-emission vehicle mandate target.