UK Electric Cars Hit a 2026 High at 33% of Sales — and a Chinese SUV Is the Country’s Best Seller

The UK registered 152,730 new cars in October, up 5.4% year on year and the 11th straight month of growth for the overall market, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Battery-electric cars took 32% of the market — 48,858 registrations, up 32.7% — the highest monthly EV share of 2026 and just below the government’s mandated figure of 33% for the year. Petrol cars fell to 37.2% of sales, down from 41% a year earlier, while plug-in hybrids rose 30.1% to 22,898.

The month’s biggest surprise sits at the top of the model chart. The Jaecoo 7 recorded 3,412 sales in October, making it the country’s top-selling model for the second month in a row, ahead of the Ford Puma, which remains the UK’s best-selling model for the year to date. Volkswagen remained the UK’s most popular brand with a 9.0% market share, while BMW moved ahead of Audi into second place with 5.6%.

Inside the EV chart, the Skoda Enyaq was October’s best-selling electric model, followed by the Mini Countryman, and independent transport researcher New AutoMotive ranked Kia as the best-selling electric brand in the month.

The trend line is what matters. Through the first 10 months of the year the UK has registered 503,805 battery-electric cars, up 30.4%, for a 26.6% market share. At the current pace, electric cars will outsell petrol in the UK within a year — and it could happen as soon as this December, when automakers traditionally push volume to get closer to their zero-emission mandate targets. The mandate requires 33% of 2026 sales to be zero-emission, but SMMT now forecasts 27.2% for the full year, and it expects 32% next year against a 38% target.