UK new car sales, September 2026: record electric month and a new number one
Sales charts2 min read
By Juan Pedro Nguema · Updated
In short: 350,536 new cars were registered in the UK in September 2026, up 12% on September 2025. A record 99,201 of them were fully electric (28.3% of the market). The best-selling car of the month was the Jaecoo 7.
September is always a big month because of the new number plate (this year the "76" plate). Here is what the official figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show.
The headline numbers
| September 2026 | Change on Sept 2025 | Market share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All new cars | 350,536 | +12.0% | 100% |
| Battery electric (BEV) | 99,201 | +36.3% | 28.3% |
| Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) | 59,571 | +55.5% | 17.0% |
| Hybrid (HEV) | 45,839 | −4.3% | 13.1% |
| Petrol | 131,864 | −6.7% | 37.6% |
| Diesel | 14,061 | +11.5% | 4.0% |
So far in 2026 (January to September), 1,739,271 new cars have been registered, up 10.2%. Electric cars have a 26.2% share.
Best-selling cars in September 2026
- Jaecoo 7 – 10,814
- Tesla Model 3 – 9,929
- Ford Puma – 6,958
- Kia Sportage – 6,521
- Tesla Model Y – 5,946
- Nissan Qashqai – 5,554
- Vauxhall Corsa – 5,498
- Volkswagen Golf – 5,496
- MG HS – 5,444
- Audi A3 – 5,268
Best-selling electric cars in September 2026
- Tesla Model 3 – 9,929
- Tesla Model Y – 5,946
- BYD Sealion 7 – 3,191
- BYD Seal – 3,184
- Kia EV3 – 3,026
- Skoda Enyaq – 2,214
- Volvo EX30 – 1,961
- Mercedes CLA – 1,921
- Skoda Elroq – 1,897
- Leapmotor B10 – 1,883
What it means
- Electric is growing fast, but not fast enough for the rules. Car makers must sell a rising share of zero-emission cars under the ZEV mandate. The 2026 target is 33%. The year-to-date share is 26.2%, so SMMT says around 265,000 more electric cars would need to be registered in the last three months of the year. It wants the rules reviewed.
- Newer brands are breaking through. A model that was new to many UK buyers topped the chart, and several electric best-sellers come from brands that have only recently arrived in the UK.
- What this means if you're selling: lots of new cars arriving means more part-exchanges, so more used cars on the market this autumn. Popular models with a full service history tend to hold their value best. You can check what your car is worth in a few seconds with a moValue estimate.
Plain-English explainer
- BEV = battery electric vehicle. No petrol or diesel engine.
- PHEV = plug-in hybrid. A battery you charge from a plug, plus a petrol or diesel engine.
- HEV = hybrid. A small battery charged by the car itself; you can't plug it in.
- Registration = the first time a new car is recorded with the DVLA. It's how new car "sales" are counted.
Figures: SMMT, published 5 October 2026. moValue has no connection with any of the manufacturers named.