All-electric cars accounted for almost one in three new car registrations last month, while electric vans reached an all-time high.
Figures from New Automotive show that the UK’s EV transition continues to accelerate, with 30% of all new car registrations accounted for by pure-electric models.
The data, which was released shortly ahead of the official figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), showed that a total of 27,876 EVs were registered last month, representing a 30% increase over August 2025.
EVs outsold every other fuel type and helped the new car market grow in August despite a decline in petrol registrations, prompting observers to question the current ZEV Mandate review.
Based on the New Automotive data, EVs account for 25.5% of total market share for the year. While this is short of the headline mandate target of 33%, New Automotive says that it already exceeds the “effective” target of 24.6%, which takes into account the various allowances and flexibilities open to car makers.
It says this has created a surplus of compliance credits for EV-focused brands such as Tesla and BYD, which can be sold on to manufacturers currently behind their zero-emission vehicle targets.
An emerging theme
“As policymakers and lobbyists wrangle over the fine print of the ZEV mandate, the automotive industry is busy delivering electric cars and vans to consumers who increasingly want to buy them,” said Ben Nelmes, CEO at New AutoMotive.
“While August is a relatively modest month for car and van registrations, it fits with an emerging theme of accelerating growth in electric car and van uptake in the UK. This is a sign that the UK government’s approach is working.”
The SMMT, which campaigned fiercely for the mandate review, played down the figures, saying that the traditionally quiet month of August “can amplify percentage shifts” and that the 30% represented a recurring seasonal spike.
The UK’s electric van market also recorded 22% growth in August, reaching an all-time high 17% market share. New Automotive says this puts the segment on track to exceed the real-world year-end target of 15.7%, but is some way short of the official 24%.
Simon Smith, CEO at charging operator Voltempo, commented: “The strong growth in electric vans is hugely encouraging because it helps solve the chicken-and-egg problem around charging infrastructure. Vans can provide the demand today that makes commercial charging infrastructure viable, while the same sites can be built to support the rapid growth of electric HGVs that will follow.”
‘Why mess with a working system?
Tanya Sinclair, CEO of lobby group Electric Vehicles UK said August’s figures showed the current ZEV Mandate targets were working. She commented: “While politicians argue about whether Britain is ready for electric cars, drivers are just getting on with buying them. EVs were the biggest single fuel type in August, and the market is already ahead of the ZEV Mandate’s target. So why mess around with it?
“What is particularly striking is the difference between manufacturers. Kia’s EV registrations more than doubled year on year, Renault was up 76% and MG 113%, while others went backwards. That tells us demand isn’t some fixed quantity. Desirable electric cars, priced and marketed well, will sell. Government should be giving consumers and industry confidence in that transition, not reopening the argument every few months.”
Vicky Edmonds, CEO of EVA England, added: “Drivers are embracing electric cars faster and faster, showing that clear targets and deadlines are working and that the transition is already ahead of schedule.
“That should give Government the confidence to stay the course. Their focus now should be on making it easier and more affordable for more and more people to make the switch, rather than changing direction or adding new costs that could slow that progress.”
