Electric vehicles accounted for 42% of new car registrations in March 2026 — a new monthly record for the UK market — as the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate forces manufacturers to prioritise EV sales and average prices fall significantly from their 2022-23 peaks.
March is traditionally the strongest month for car registrations due to the new plate change, making it the most important month for assessing market trends. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said the figure represented a "landmark moment" for the transition to cleaner transport.
What Is Driving the Surge
The ZEV mandate requires manufacturers to ensure that 22% of the vehicles they sell in 2026 are zero emission. Manufacturers facing shortfalls in their ZEV quota face fines of £15,000 per vehicle below the target — creating a powerful financial incentive to prioritise and discount EVs.
Average EV prices have fallen significantly: the cheapest new electric cars are now available below £25,000, from Chinese manufacturers including BYD and MG, which have taken significant market share from European and Korean rivals.
Charging infrastructure has improved substantially, with the number of public charging points reaching 65,000 — double the number of two years ago.
What Is Still Holding People Back
Among those who have not yet bought an EV, the main barriers remain range anxiety (cited by 41%), home charging availability (36%), and price relative to equivalent petrol cars (29%). For the third of UK households without off-street parking — predominantly urban, lower-income — the economics of EV ownership remain genuinely challenging without reliable public charging nearby.
