Britain is selling more electric cars than ever, but the math for hitting its 2026 mandate is looking increasingly brutal
The UK new car market hit its busiest February since 2004, with strong overall growth. But battery electric vehicle (BEV) demand continued to stall, raising fresh doubts about whether the industry can meet the government’s ambitious 2026 Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), new car registrations reached 90,100 in February 2026, a solid 7.2% increase from 84,054 a year earlier. Year-to-date through the first two months of 2026, registrations totalled 234,227, up 4.8% from the same period in 2025.
The market’s recovery was driven by private buyers, whose registrations jumped 17.6% in February to 35,227 (39.1% market share), while fleet sales edged up 1.8% to 53,506 (59.4% share).
Popular models included the Ford Puma topping the charts with 3,220 registrations, followed by the Kia Sportage and Mini Cooper.
Concerns over electric vehicles
Yet the electric transition told a different story. BEV registrations rose modestly by 2.8% to 21,840 units in February, but their market share slipped to 24.2% from 25.3% a year ago, the second consecutive monthly decline. Year-to-date, BEVs stood at 51,494 registrations, up just 1.2%, with a market share of 22.0% (down from 22.77% in early 2025).
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) provided some offset, surging 43.5% to 10,438 in February (11.6% share, up from 8.7%), while conventional hybrids grew 3.3%. Petrol cars still dominated at 46.5% share, though diesel continued its long-term decline.
The ZEV mandate requires manufacturers to ensure that 33% of new car sales in 2026 are zero-emission vehicles (primarily BEVs, with PHEVs counting toward the target in some capacity under the rules).
At the current pace, BEVs alone are achieving roughly two-thirds of that level, and even SMMT’s updated full-year forecast anticipates only 28.5% BEV share – well short of the 33% threshold.
“The UK’s new car market is continuing to recover and EV volumes are growing too, even if market share remains disappointing,” said Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of the SMMT.
“All eyes are now on ‘new plate’ March, which typically sets the tone for the year – and given sales of new pure petrol and diesel cars are currently required to end in less than four years, EV uptake must accelerate rapidly.”
