New car registrations for August continues its shift to electrification

Car NewsAutomotive IndustryNew Car Registrations

4 Sept

The SMMT data for August new vehicle registrations has been published revealing the winners and losers in the battle for market share by fuel type, plus we identify which models are in the top 10 UK sales charts for August.

**August Registrations 2010-2026**

August is typically a quiet month for new car registrations since the introduction of biannual plate changes, but despite this the U.K. new car market recorded its ninth consecutive month of growth, with August 2026 registrations now on par with pre-pandemic levels last seen in 2019 as 94,236 new cars were sold last month.

Registrations by Fuel Type

Electrification is the clear winner in 2026 so far as demand for electrified vehicle has surged since the outbreak of the US/Iran conflict in the Middle East. And whilst petrol and diesel prices remain high, the demand for fuel sipping cars may continue to grow at a pace.

All Diesel cars, which includes mild hybrids, are having a tough time as new vehicle registrations have declined by market share to 4.8% despite selling 171 more diesel cars than a year ago, down from 5.2% from August 2025. Year-to-date data shows a larger 10.5% decline with market share now well below 5% at 4.58%. Diesel is now a niche purchase.

**August Diesel Data over 16 Years**

Diesel showing their peak and decline for August registrations year-on-year from August 2010 to August 2026.

All Petrol cars, which does include mild hybrids, declined 3.5% in August 2026 compared to a year ago, taking 38.3% market share and remarkably, the first time petrol has dipped below 40%. However, year-to-date data shows petrol still accounts for 42.47% market share in 2026 so far - a decline of 3.1% from the same point a year ago.

Battery Electric Vehicle registrations surged again in August taking 29.8% market share, indicating a 27.7% increase in demand compared to August 2025. Year-to-Date puts EV registrations at a cumulative 25.62% market share in 2026 so far, compared to 21.86% a year ago. What’s remarkable is there is just 8.5% between petrol and electric car registrations, as the inflection point grows nearer between EVs and petrol registrations.

**August BEV Data over 16 Years**

Progress in Battery Electric Vehicles BEV shares for August shows year-on-year increase in registrations.

Plug-in Hybrid also surged claiming 14.5% market share for August ‘26, up from 11.8% a year ago, with a growth of a huge 39.8%. This accounts for a 13.34% market share for 2026 so far. putting is behind hybrid registrations.

Hybrid vehicle registrations, which DO NOT include mild hybrids accounted for 12.7% market share in August compared to 11.4% a year ago, but they’re still ahead of plug-in hybrids for the year so far, reaching 14.0% market share, a change of 11.2% compared to the same point last year.

*SMMT August 2026 New Vehicle Registrations and Year-to-Date*

Sectors

Whilst Fleet is still the largest sector taking 57.2% market share in August, it shows a steady decline from 59.1% a year ago and paints a similar trend recorded for July 2026. And its a similar story for the cumulative market share for the year-to-date, with a declining market share now at 58.3% compared to the same period last year at 59.4%.

Private customers took second spot growing their market share to over 40% for the first time at 40.8% in August 2026, indicating a 19% growth vs August 2025. Year-to-date numbers are just under the 40% mark at 39.4% for 2026 so far, but it is trending upwards.

Business is also up by 14.5% to take 2.0% market share in August and 2.3% for the year-to-date, an increase of 0.1% in both instances.

*SMMT Data by Sector for August 2026 and Year-to-Date*

Best Sellers

August has revealed a real change in winds when it comes to car choice, albeit the Ford Puma is still Britain’s best seller in August, and year-to-date. But, Chinese models take 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th place with the Jaecoo 7, MG HS, Jaecoo 5 and Omoda 5 respectively, pushing the Kia Sportage to 5th with the Nissan Qashqai falling out of the top 10 altogether. The Mini Cooper, Ford Kuga, Mercedes CLA and Vauxhall Frontera take up 7th to 10th spots.

Year-to-Date shows a different story albeit with the Ford Puma taking its usual number 1 position. The Kia Sportage takes second spot and the Jaecoo 7 in 3rd place. Nissan’s Qashqai is in 4th position followed by the Vauxhall Corsa in 5th, the MG HS in 6th and the VW Golf, Mini Cooper, Volvo XC40 and Vauxhall Tiguan taking 7th to 10th positions.

Battery Electric Vehicle best sellers is a first for SMMT, but it’s good to see how well each brand and model is doing, so its perhaps no surprise to see Tesla at number 1 and 2 spot as they only sell EVs, with the Vauxhall Frontera very close behind in 3rd. The Jaecoo E5 takes 4th spot with the Mercedes CLA in 5th. Skoda takes 6th and 7th with the Enyaq and Elroq SUVs, and the charming Renault 5 is in 8th place, followed by the Kia EV3 and Audi Q6 e-tron.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive says “August was a bright spot for the new car market and another strong month for electric car uptake, showing that motorists are responding to the huge choice and compelling offers available. But August is a low-volume month, so September will be the acid test. The industry is doing everything it can to help drivers switch, but mandate targets must be grounded in the reality of demand. Government’s review is the right move so we can ensure the transition is kept on track, consumer choice protected and the jobs and investment necessary to deliver net zero and economic growth are safeguarded.”

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