Car registrations rise 6.6% in March as EVs have best month on record

The UK’s new car market experienced its best month for registrations since 2019, new figures have shown.

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that a total of 380,627 vehicles were registered during the month, representing a 6.6 per cent increase on last year’s figures.

March is a traditionally busy month for the new car market, owing to the introduction of a new registration plate.

This growth was driven by a rising demand from the private sector, with retail registrations up by 10.1 per cent. Fleet and business registrations also grew by 3.5 and 18.8 per cent, respectively.

It was also the best month on record for all types of electrified vehicles, according to the SMMT, with this segment covering hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. It was full electric vehicles which saw the best month, however, reaching a new record of 86,120 – a 24.2 per cent increase on 2025’s figures.

The SMMT says that despite these figures, electric vehicles still only have a market share of 22.6 per cent in March – compared to 43.6 per cent for petrol – which means the sector is still ‘further adrift’ of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate target which stands at 33 per cent for 2026.

Demand for diesel continued to tumble, falling by 11.4 per cent compared with last year to 20,967 vehicles.