Zero Emissions Vehicles Reach a New High According to SMMT Data
The headline sounds impressive, but it’s the context that matters and SMMT provides a dose of reality.
If you have ever suspected the roads are becoming more busy, your spidey sense is not letting you down as the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders shows the U.K. now has a record 42.55m vehicles on UK roads. The data from 2025 indicates a volume rise of 1.4%, with cars also up 1.4% to 36.68m units.
The SMMT also shows that one in 22 vehicles in use are now zero emission vehicles with a staggering 1.9m electric cars on the roads with a further one in nine being electrified, at 4.6m.
This has resulted in an average car fleet CO2 emissions declining by -2.9% with increasing numbers of zero emissions models, plus lower-emission hybrids replacing older, traditional, internal combustion vehicles.
However, with people feeling the pinch, the fleet of cars on the roads is growing older with renewal slowing, showing that 52.4% of cars are aged over 10 years with the average car age at new high of 9.7 years old.
It’s a testament to improved reliability and longevity of cars, but also and indication of the economic climate. Cars are expensive, but will the flurry of increasingly less expensive Chinese cars reverse that, such as the Jaecoo 7 now outselling former best seller, the Ford Puma?
An Ageing Population of Cars - SMMT
Despite this, there’s a paradigm shift underway with how the U.K. car fleet is mixed and from where its sourcing its new cars.
Although the SMMT reports on increasing new EV sales and plug-in hybrid sales, with diesel showing the least demand month-to-month, the fleet of cars currently on the roads is being replenished at a much slower pace.
Petrol cars on the the roads account for 57.7% of the car population, with diesels at 30.1%. A slow and steady attrition to electric and electrified cars is underway, but it only represents a combined 12.2% of all cars on our roads, with battery electric cars leading that category at 4.9%.
It will take a very long time to reduce the 87.8% of internal combustion cars in circulation, but even with the dent of 12.2%, the SMMT reported a steady decline in emissions that’s gradually decarbonising the fleet.
Fuel Mix of the U.K Car Fleet - SMMT
Undoubtedly the U.K. has a long road ahead to replenish its fleet with electric and electrified vehicles, but it is showing a steady shift. It’s always worth noting the context since the vast majority of cars in existence are powered purely by an internal combustion engine.
Those that fear the change to EV’s next decade should perhaps not have to worry for a long time because - even after the 2035 ban - petrol and diesel cars will still exist on U.K. roads for decades ahead.
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About the Author
Graeme Cobb is a lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for writing about cars, EVs, industry updates and more.
You can find Graeme on 𝕏 at @graeme_cobb or YouTube @REV-EV.