--- title: "UK new car registrations rise 5.4% in October as BEVs jump 32.7% and petrol falls" description: "Electric sales climb while petrol drops, and the car industry's lobby group uses the figures to press the government to cut the ZEV Mandate targets." url: https://cars.skoop.news/electric-cars-are-about-to-overtake-petrol-in-the-uk-data-sh-d0d72e/ published: 2026-11-05T11:22:03.681995-05:00 modified: 2026-11-05T11:22:03.682004-05:00 section: "Cars & EVs" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["BEV", "Electric Car Grant", "ZEV Mandate", "Mike Hawes", "Skoda Enyaq", "Through October", "UK BEV", "Budget", "EV-specific", "EVs"] hashtags: ["#ElectricCarGrant", "#ZEVMandate", "#MikeHawes", "#Car", "#cars"] image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/G-BEVS_%2830998577408%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled --- # UK new car registrations rise 5.4% in October as BEVs jump 32.7% and petrol falls > Electric sales climb while petrol drops, and the car industry's lobby group uses the figures to press the government to cut the ZEV Mandate targets. Published 2026-11-05 · Updated 2026-11-05 · Cars & EVs, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - The UK registered 152,730 new cars in October 2026, up 5.4% year-over-year, and buyers of electric cars and plug-in hybrids drove much of the growth. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) - Through October, the UK has registered 503,805 BEVs this year, up 30.4%, for a 26.6% market share. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) - BYD registered 6,065 cars in October, up 73%. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) ## October's registration numbers The UK registered 152,730 new cars in October 2026, up 5.4% year-over-year, and buyers of electric cars and plug-in hybrids drove much of the growth. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) BEV registrations rose 32.7% to 48,858 units. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) Plug-in hybrid registrations rose 30.1% to 22,898 units. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) Petrol registrations fell 11.6% to 56,876 units. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) ## The year so far Through October, the UK has registered 503,805 BEVs this year, up 30.4%, for a 26.6% market share. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) Petrol's year-to-date share is 41.1%, down from 47.2% at the same point last year. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) Extending the linear trends, petrol and BEV shares cross around August 2027 at roughly 33% each. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) UK BEV share also spikes every December as automakers push volume to get closer to their ZEV Mandate targets. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) ## Brands and models BYD registered 6,065 cars in October, up 73%. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) Tesla registered 282 cars, down 45% from 511 a year earlier. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) The top-selling BEV in October was the Skoda Enyaq with 1,568 registrations. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) ## The fight over the ZEV Mandate The ZEV Mandate requires 33% of 2026 sales to be zero-emission. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) The car industry and some unions are pushing to water it down. [[2]](https://cleantechnica.com/2026/06/26/uk-sales-of-electric-vehicles-just-overtook-petrol-cars-for-the-first-time/) The industry argues demand for EVs is too low to meet the requirements, despite having 'over-complied' to date. [[2]](https://cleantechnica.com/2026/06/26/uk-sales-of-electric-vehicles-just-overtook-petrol-cars-for-the-first-time/) SMMT is using the release to push the government, again, to cut the targets. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) It expects 32% zero-emission share next year against a 38% target, and 37.5% in 2028 against 52%. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: 'Higher targets may force supply, but they do not create demand.' [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) The trade group says automakers have spent 'billions' on discounts, 0% financing, deposit contributions, and subsidized charging to move EVs, on top of the government's Electric Car Grant. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) The government had already opened a review of the mandate this year. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) The Budget confirmed a new EV-specific road tax (eVED) starting in 2028 and kept 20% VAT on public charging. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) ## Hybrids and the wider market According to ACEA data, hybrids are the most popular type of car in the UK, but their sales are relatively stagnant. [[2]](https://cleantechnica.com/2026/06/26/uk-sales-of-electric-vehicles-just-overtook-petrol-cars-for-the-first-time/) Some 56,321 hybrids were sold in May 2026, an increase of 2% year-on-year. [[2]](https://cleantechnica.com/2026/06/26/uk-sales-of-electric-vehicles-just-overtook-petrol-cars-for-the-first-time/) Plug-in hybrid sales rose 24% year-on-year in May to 22,167. [[2]](https://cleantechnica.com/2026/06/26/uk-sales-of-electric-vehicles-just-overtook-petrol-cars-for-the-first-time/) The IEA said global EV sales were set to grow by another 15% in 2026. [[2]](https://cleantechnica.com/2026/06/26/uk-sales-of-electric-vehicles-just-overtook-petrol-cars-for-the-first-time/) ## What this means for you If you are shopping for an EV, automakers have spent 'billions' on discounts, 0% financing, deposit contributions, and subsidized charging, on top of the government's Electric Car Grant. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) If you plan to own one for years, the Budget confirmed a new EV-specific road tax (eVED) starting in 2028 and kept 20% VAT on public charging. [[1]](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) To tell a pure EV from a hybrid on the road, look for the green stripe on the left-hand side of UK numberplates, which are not used for any type of hybrid. [[2]](https://cleantechnica.com/2026/06/26/uk-sales-of-electric-vehicles-just-overtook-petrol-cars-for-the-first-time/) ## Sources 1. [Electric cars are about to overtake petrol in the UK, data shows](https://electrek.co/2026/11/05/uk-ev-sales-october-2026-electric-cars-overtake-petrol/) — Electrek 2. [UK Sales of Electric Vehicles Just Overtook Petrol Cars for the First Time](https://cleantechnica.com/2026/06/26/uk-sales-of-electric-vehicles-just-overtook-petrol-cars-for-the-first-time/) — cleantechnica Image: Photo: Mike Burdett from CROMER, UK / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:G-BEVS_(30998577408).jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/