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UK new car market posts strong March, but Middle East turmoil clouds outlook
Battery electric vehicles reached their best month by volume, but 22.6% market share remained below the 33% government target for 2026, SMMT said.
- Total car registrations rose 6.6% year-on-year to 380,627 units in March, marking Britain's strongest March since 2019, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said.
- Battery electric vehicles achieved record monthly volumes, though their market share remained at 22.6%, well below the government-mandated 33% target for 2026.
- BYD registrations jumped nearly 134% to 15,162 units, outpacing Tesla, which saw registrations rise 20% to 8,599 units, according to SMMT data.
- SMMT Chief Mike Hawes said "headlines belie the costs incurred and the challenges involved," noting much of March's performance stemmed from orders placed before the Iran war began on February 28.
- Jamie Hamilton, automotive partner at Deloitte, said electric vehicle enquiries are increasing as consumers view them as "an attractive alternative to petrol and diesel vehicles" amid fuel cost uncertainty.
18 Articles
18 Articles
UK new car market posts strong March, but cloudy outlook
Britain's market for new cars posted its strongest March since 2019, but the outlook looks cloudy as most of the sales reflected orders placed before the Iran war began and mask growing concern about consumer confidence and affordability.
UK new car market posts strong March, but Middle East turmoil clouds outlook
Britain's market for new cars posted its strongest March since 2019, but the outlook looks cloudy as most of the sales reflected orders placed before the Iran war began and mask growing concern about consumer confidence and affordability.
Record EV registrations in March
March saw a record-breaking month for the UK EV market, with more BEVs (battery electric vehicles) registered than in any previous month. BEVs accounted for 22.7% of new car registrations, with over a third of the market having a plug when PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) are included. BEV registrations rose 22.6% compared to March 2025, helping drive overall market growth of 4.9% and marking the strongest March on record for EV uptake. P…
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