EV market statistics
Published September 01, 2025
- In July 2025, 29,825 BEVs were sold in the UK, securing a 21.3% market share (and 9.1% YoY growth).
- There were 17,489 PHEV registrations in July - a 33% YoY increase.
- Meanwhile, there were 66,271 petrol registrations (down 14.7% YoY), 8,018 diesel registrations (down 7.9% YoY), and 18,551 HEV registrations (down 10% YoY).
Our updated EV market guide is a helpful resource for automotive journalists, professionals, and consumers.
We’ve added new statistics, data, and expert commentary to help you interpret the trends driving the UK’s electric car market.
Glossary of EV terms
YoY: Year-on-year
Powertrain: This is the system responsible generating a vehicle’s power - and transferring it to the road.
Market share: In the context of these guides, ‘market share’ refers to the share of cars sold over a specified period, rather than share of the overall car parc.
EV: Electric vehicle
BEV: Battery electric vehicle
PHEV: Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
MHEV: Mild hybrid electric vehicle
SMMT: Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
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The current state of the new EV market
| Powertrain | July 2025 | July 2024 | % change (YoY) | Market share 2025 | Market share 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEV | 29,825 | 27,335 | +9.1% | 21.3% | 18.5% |
| PHEV | 17,489 | 13,149 | +33.0% | 12.5% | 8.9% |
| HEV | 18,551 | 20,623 | -10.0% | 13.2% | 14.0% |
| Petrol | 66,271 | 77,702 | -14.7% | 47.3% | 52.7% |
| Diesel | 8,018 | 8,708 | -7.9% | 5.7% | 5.9% |
| Total | 140,154 | 147,517 | -5.0% |
Source: SMMT
Please note: Mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) registrations are included in the petrol and diesel figures.
- In July 2025, registrations for BEVs and PHEVs increased YoY by 9.1% and 33.0% respectively, despite a 5% YoY decline in registrations for the overall new car market.
- Market share for BEVs grew to 21.3% (up 2.8% YoY), while PHEV market share grew to 12.5% (up 3.6% YoY).
- HEVs were the only electrified powertrain to record a decline. Registrations fell by 10.0% YoY – and market share fell to 13.2%, marking a 0.8% YoY decrease.
- Petrol’s market share slipped to 47.3% (down 5.4%), whilst diesel’s fell slightly to 5.7% (a 0.2% YoY drop).
Year-to-date analysis: Jan-July 2024 and 2025
| Powertrain | Jan-July 2025 | Jan-July 2024 | % change (YoY) | Market share 2025 | Market share 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEV | 254,666 | 194,431 | +31.0% | 21.5% | 16.8% |
| PHEV | 124,528 | 94,671 | +31.5% | 10.5% | 8.2% |
| HEV | 165,328 | 155,283 | +6.5% | 14.0% | 13.5% |
| Petrol | 571,111 | 634,967 | -10.1% | 48.3% | 55.0% |
| Diesel | 66,740 | 74,928 | -10.9% | 5.6% | 6.5% |
| Total | 1,182,373 | 1,154,280 | 2.4% |
Source: SMMT
- From January to July 2025, registrations for BEVs and PHEVs grew by 31.0% and 31.5% YoY respectively.
- Market share for BEVs increased to 21.5% (up 4.7% YoY), while PHEV market share rose to 10.5% (up 2.3% YoY).
- HEVs also recorded growth, with registrations up 6.5% YoY and market share edging up to 14.0% (a 0.5% YoY increase).
- In contrast, petrol registrations fell by 10.1% YoY, with market share dropping to 48.3% (down 6.7% YoY).
- Diesel saw a similar decline, with registrations down 10.9% YoY and market share falling to 5.6% (down 0.9% YoY).
webuyanycar’s head of technical services, Richard Evans said:
“The latest data indicates electrified vehicles are continuing to outpace traditionally fuelled cars, with registrations for both BEVs and HEVs recording YoY growth of over 30% from January to July.”
“The range of EV models at accessible price points is rapidly expanding, from the sub-£15k Dacia Spring, to the Renault 5, BYD Dolphin Surf, and the Smart #1 – all of which sit comfortably below the £37k threshold.”
“With a choice of over 130 new EV models, consumers are benefitting from unprecedented choice and value.”
“Additionally, the rollout of the Government's Electric Car Grant is another step towards making electric motoring more affordable to the wider market.”
“Whilst only a small selection of models are eligible at this early stage , many EV manufacturers are offering attractive incentives of their own, including self-funded ‘grants’, and valuable extras, such as home chargers, and service plans.”
Used electric car sales Q2 2025
- 1 in 10 (9.7%) of used cars sold in Q2 were electrified.
- HEV transactions rose 27.7% to 100,127 units, taking a 5.0% market share.
- PHEV sales increased 10.3% to 24,370 units, accounting for 1.2% of the market.
- BEVs showed the strongest growth, up 40.0% to 68,721 units, with a 3.4% market share.
- The overall used car market recorded 4,017,106 sales in the first half of 2025 – a 2.2% YoY increase, which also brought it within 1% of pre-pandemic levels.
Market share by powertrain 2026-2018
| Year | BEV | HEV | PHEV | Petrol | Diesel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* | 28.2% | 16.0% | 11.9% | 39.4% | 4.5% |
| 2025* | 23.8% | 14.5% | 10.9% | 45.5% | 5.4% |
| 2024 | 19.6% | 13.4% | 8.6% | 52.2% | 6.3% |
| 2023 | 16.5% | 12.6% | 7.4% | 56.0% | 7.5% |
| 2022 | 16.6% | 11.6% | 6.3% | 55.9% | 9.6% |
| 2021 | 11.6% | 8.9% | 7.0% | 58.3% | 14.2% |
| 2020 | 6.6% | 6.7% | 4.1% | 62.7% | 19.8% |
| 2019 | 1.6% | 4.2% | 1.5% | 66.0% | 26.6% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | 3.4% | 1.9% | 62.3% | 31.7% |
*Percentages taken from SMMT’s July 2025 new car market forecast.
webuyanycar’s head of technical services, Richard Evans said:
“The SMMT’s forecast indicates that BEVs are set to claim over a quarter of all new car sales by 2026, which will be a key milestone on their journey from niche to mainstream.”
“It is also anticipated that HEVs and PHEVs will steadily gain market share. If the combined market share of traditional petrol and diesel cars falls below 50%, 2026 could be a defining year for electric motoring.”
“An expanding charging infrastructure network and attractive consumer incentives from both the Government and manufacturers could help to spur this change.”
How has the UK’s EV market share grown over time?
- In 2016, BEVs accounted for just 0.4% of all new vehicle registrations.
- In 2024, BEVs secured a record 19.6% market share – and PHEVs made up a further 8.6% of registrations, bringing the total market share for plug-in vehicles to 28.2%.
- The number of annual BEV registrations grew over 10x from 37,092 in 2016 to 381,970 in 2024.
- The SMMT’s July 2025 forecast predicts 569,000 BEV registrations in 2026 – an increase of over 14x from 2016!
Used electric car sales Q2 2025
- 9.7% of the used cars sold in Q2 were electrified.
- HEVs were the most popular electrified powertrain, with 100,127 units sold, and a 27.7% YoY increase - accounting for a 5.0% market share.
- 24,370 PHEVs were sold (a 10.3% YoY rise), securing a 1.2% market share.
- However, BEVs recorded the strongest growth, with 68,721 units sold (a 40.0% YoY rise), securing a 3.4% market share.
- According to AA Cars data, the average prices of popular BEVs and hybrids dropped by almost 13% in Q2 2025 compared to Q2 2024.
- The models that saw the steepest drops were the Lexus RX and Nissan Leaf (31% and 20% respectively).
- A report by used car analytics firm Marketcheck showed that the average used EV price fell by 24.4% between May 2023 and May 2025 – from £30,441 to £23,092.52.
- The data also showed that the monthly volume of used EVs sold increased by 180.5% from May 2023 to May 2025 - rising from 7,073 to 19,836.
Source: SMMT, AA Cars, Marketcheck
webuyanycar’s head of technical services, Richard Evans said:
“The latest data signals a rapidly maturing used EV market, with steeper price drops making EVs affordable to a wider range of buyers.”
“This increase in accessibility has strengthened demand, particularly for BEVs, leading to impressive growth in Q2.”
“Looking forward, the Government’s new Electric Car Grant for new vehicles could potentially add momentum, stimulate new sales, and feed a healthy flow of nearly new stock into the used market”
Resale values of used EVs
In August 2025, webuyanycar published new data about the average depreciation rates for EVs. This graph shows how the average EV’s depreciation curve compares to other powertrains:
*Disclaimer: Webuyanycar are not predicting future increases or decreases in your car’s market value. Changes in value can occur due to a variety of factors, including the vehicle’s age, mileage, condition, and the level of market demand. Learn more about what affects car value.
Source: webuyanycar
Key findings
- On average, EVs lose approximately 40% of their value after one year and around 50% after two years.
- Petrol, diesel, and hybrid cars retain over 65% of their value at one year and over 60% at two years.
- EVs consistently depreciate faster than other fuel types, with the gap gradually narrowing after the eight-year mark.
- EVs with strong brand reputations, better performance, and higher ranges tend to hold their value better than average.
How many BEVs are there in the UK?
As of the end of July 2025, there are over 1.6 million BEVs in the UK, meaning around 4.75% of the UK’s 34 million car parc is fully electric.
Source: Zapmap
EV chargepoint availability report
At the end of July 2025, there were a total of 84,218 public electric vehicle chargepoints in the UK at 41,979 charging locations.
In July, 1,849 net new public charging devices were added.
Source: Zapmap
Private charging
At the end of 2024, there were more than 1 million chargepoints installed at UK homes with driveways.*
*This figure has been adjusted for two-BEV households and does not include home chargers installed for the 380,000 new PHEV drivers from March 2022 to December 2024.
Research from data analytics consultancy, Field Dynamics showed that around 67.2% of the UK’s 28.4 million households (approximately 19 million) have access to a driveway or a dedicated parking space nearby.
The remaining 32.8% (equating to around 9 million households) lack access to private home parking, meaning they cannot use a private chargepoint.
Source: Zapmap
EV chargepoint growth trends 2020-2025
Between January 2020 and July 2025, the number of public EV charging devices in the UK grew from 16,505 to 84,218 – an increase of 410%.
The UK Government is currently on track to meet its target of 300,000 public EV chargers by 2030. There is currently ample public charging infrastructure to serve the UK’s 1.6 million EV parc.
Source: Zapmap, GOV.UK
Public charger speed: Shifting expectations
As EVs with increasingly faster charging capabilities have hit the market, expectations for public charging speeds have also adjusted. Steps are being taken to meet this growing demand.
At the end of July 2025, there were around 16,937 rapid or ultra rapid charging devices, across 6,515 charging locations. (Rapid chargers range from 50kW to 150kW, whilst ultra-rapid chargers are 150kw+.)
Source: Zapmap
Leading EV chargepoint providers
- At the end of July 2025, Shell Recharge Ubitricity had the most public chargepoints, with 10,597 devices, accounting for 12.6% of the UK’s public charger network.
- Connected Kerb and Podpoint were the next largest providers with 6,990 (8.3%) and 5,414 devices (6.4%) respectively.
Source: Zapmap
EV battery innovations
Toyota’s solid-state batteries in development
- Toyota’s new solid-state battery could deliver up to 745 miles range per charge.
- This would beat the current record held by the Ford Mustang Mach-E (570 miles).
- The technology is expected to debut in the next generation of Toyota EVs by 2027.
- In addition to impressive range, this new technology also promises ultra-fast charging. It is anticipated that the batteries will recharge in 10 minutes or less.
- They also promise a longer lifespan of 8,000–10,000 cycles (compared to 1,500–2,000 for a typical lithium-ion battery), making them more sustainable and practical for everyday EV use.
Nanowire batteries
- Scientists at the University of California are developing nanowire batteries that could last forever.
- The gold nanowires used are a thousand times thinner than a human hair and sit in an electrolyte gel, which prevents them from breaking down whilst recharging.
- After being recharged over 200,000 times in three months, they showed no signs of degradation.
- Nanowire batteries also have greater energy density than lithium-ion batteries, meaning EVs could travel much further on a single charge.
Different types of EVs
Here is a quick explainer on the various types of EV on the market:
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs)
Unlike the other hybrid variants on the market, BEVs are powered solely by an electric battery. Most BEVs have electric ranges between 100-300 miles.
(Whilst 200 miles or above is broadly considered a good range, a range of 100 miles may be sufficient depending on your daily commute.)
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs)
PHEVs are powered by a combination of an electric battery and a fossil fuel (petrol or diesel) engine.
PHEV batteries are smaller compared to those found in BEVs and typically provide a range of 15-40 miles.
However, some premium PHEVs do provide larger ranges, such as the Toyota RAV4 PHEV (46 miles), BMW 2 Series 225e (56 miles), the Mercedes-Benz GLE 350de (66 miles) - and the Polestar 1 (93 miles).
Just like a BEV, a PHEV can be plugged in to charge its electric battery.
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs)
A HEV is powered by a petrol and diesel engine, which charges a battery capable of propelling an electric drivetrain.
No manual charging is required with a HEV. Instead, the electric battery is recharged a little each time the driver brakes. This process is known as ‘regenerative braking’.
Unlike a PHEV, HEVs are not designed to be capable of running on electric power alone.
Mild hybrid electric vehicles (MHEVs)
A mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) has a traditional combustion engine and a small electric battery, which helps it to run more efficiently. However, unlike other types of hybrid vehicles, it is incapable of running on electric power alone. Instead, the electric motor in a MHEV assists the ICE powertrain to improve efficiency.
There is no need to charge a MHEV. Instead, they convert the energy from braking into electricity, which is stored in the battery. Although MHEVs offer slightly better fuel economy compared to ICE equivalents, they cost more to run than other electrified cars.
Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)
Unlike other EVs that use a battery, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) utilise hydrogen to generate electricity, which powers the electric motor. Instead, a FCEV has a fuel stack that combines hydrogen with the oxygen in the air to create electricity and water vapour, which powers the electric motor and drives the car forward.
FCEVs can be refuelled in around five minutes (much quicker than traditional EVs) and typically have a range of 300 to 400 miles. They are often lighter than BEVs due to the lack of a battery.
However, whilst BEVs can convert around 80% of the electricity in their batteries, today’s FCEVs can only convert 40-60% of their fuel’s energy, meaning they are less efficient than traditional fully-electric cars.
Hydrogen cars are generally more expensive than traditional electric cars. The cost of hydrogen production and charging infrastructure – and the sophisticated fuel tanks themselves contribute to the higher price tags.
There are only around 300 FCEVs on UK roads – and some of these are buses. The lack of public charging infrastructure remains a barrier to widespread adoption. As of January 2025, there are only 16 hydrogen refuelling station in the UK.
How do EVs work?
EVs are powered by one or more electric motors rather than an ICE engine. These motors are powered by a rechargeable battery, which can be replenished by plugging the vehicle into an electric charger.
What factors affect EV performance?
Your real-world electric range may differ from the advertised figure (which often reflects a best-case scenario). Factors that affect EV performance include your driving style, weather conditions - and the degree to which features such as the in-car heating and air conditioning are used.
Smart energy recovery technology
EVs utilise technology that converts kinetic energy into electricity whilst braking or travelling uphill, automatically topping up the battery.
