Sales of new pure electric vehicles surpassed 470,000 in 2025, as low emission cars account for almost half of the total market.
In comparison, the number of internal combustion cars running on petrol and diesel which were bought in the last 12 months fell, and now make up just 51.6% of sales. It is now expected that domestic EV sales will exceed fossil fuel counterparts by the end of 2026 at the latest, with the UK the second largest European market for battery electric models, behind only Germany.
For the second year running, targets set by Downing Street’s Zero Emissions (ZEV) Mandate are likely to have been met by all car manufacturers once flexibilities over how these goals are measured are taken into account. This means producers are unlikely to face fines for failing to shift enough models.
Concerns that Britain’s gear change towards plug-in hybrid, hybrid, and pure electric cars is lagging behind where it should be will be further alleviated by the fact the rate of transition is accelerating. According to the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), battery EV sales made up more than 32% of all purchases in December 2024, revealing a significant leap in the following 12 months.
‘As more and more models come to market, increasing competition has continued to push prices down, allowing an ever-increasing number of British families to make the move to electric to save on their driving bills,’ said Colin Walker, Head of Transport at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.
Image: Carles Rabada / Unsplash
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