UK new car sales hit best May since 2019, industry data shows

• Reuters

• Published On Jun 4, 2026 at 04:09 PM IST

Britain’s new car sales rose 7.1 per cent in May, the strongest for the month since 2019, driven by resilient retail demand, especially for electric vehicles, according to industry data released on Thursday. EVs have been gaining ground ‌in Europe ⁠as rising ⁠fuel costs, largely driven by global oil shocks from the Iran war, steer customers toward alternatives.

Overall new car registrations in Britain rose to 160,662 vehicles last month, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. Battery electric vehicles (BEV), the biggest under EVs, climbed 34.2 per cent, the most among all car categories.

“We’re seeing surging interest linked to macro shocks earlier in the year now ⁠materialise into ‌real consumer demand,” said Melanie Lane, CEO of EV charging provider Pod. BEV sales share is now around 24 per cent of ⁠total sales this year, short of the 33 per cent target, highlighting broader challenges amid the UK’s push for faster adoption of zero-emission vehicles.

“The EV transition is progressing, but consumer uptake still lags behind even today’s targets, let alone the ambition set out in the latest Carbon Budget,” SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said, referring to Britain’s long-term targets.

Total registrations from individual buyers jumped 17.2 per cent in May, SMMT said, ‌helped by a wider model choice, competitive offers from retailers and the government’s backing for schemes such as the Electric Car Grant intended to boost ⁠electric vehicle uptake. Earlier this week, Britain set out a target to reduce emissions by around 87 per cent in the period 2038 to 2042, down from baseline levels set in 1990. Separate data from New Automotive showed on Wednesday new car sales rose about 6 per cent year-on-year, driven by demand for plug-in vehicles.

SMMT and New Automotive use different data sources and calculation methods, explaining the differences in the figures.