October marked another strong month for the UK’s electric vehicle market. Battery electric cars accounted for 26% of all new registrations - their joint highest market share of 2025 so far - while plug-in hybrids captured 12%. Together, two in every five new cars sold this month were plug-ins.
So far in 2025, BEV registrations have climbed by 25%, indicating that more drivers are choosing fully electric cars. In contrast, petrol registrations have dropped by 25% and diesel by 17%, continuing their steady decline. Hybrids remain the largest segment, but their growth has slowed, highlighting the growing momentum behind plug-in vehicles.
Ford has made significant progress this year, with electric models making up a third of its October sales, supported by being the only brand currently eligible for the full £3,750 government EV grant. Renault reached a milestone, with half of its UK sales this month being fully electric, while Volkswagen, Skoda, and BYD also reported strong growth.
The trend is clear: drivers are moving decisively towards electric cars, while fossil fuel models continue to lose ground.
Welcome to the latest edition of Electric Car Count, your monthly update on the UK’s EV transition from New AutoMotive.
Scroll down for:
- The news
- An update on vans
- ZEV Mandate scores
- The market is soaring: BEVs captured 26 percent of the market in October, a 5.5 percent year-on-year rise in registrations, marking a record month for zero-emission cars.
- BEVs on track for mandate targets: Year-to-date, BEVs represent 22.4 percent of new registrations, comfortably ahead of the real ZEV Mandate target of 21.7 percent.
- Plug-in cars a substantial part of the market: Only BEVs and PHEVs saw growth this month. The combined plug-in segment now makes up 40 percent of all new cars sold, or two in every five cars.
A Much Stronger Van and HGV Market
Despite a softer month overall for vans, battery-electric vans performed best: BEVs made up 9.7% of October registrations, above the year-to-date 9.1%, even as total volumes declined. This resilience signals growing confidence among businesses switching to low running-cost, zero-emission vans and sets the stage for a strong year-end as fleets refresh orders.
Volkswagen surpassed Ford as the top seller of electric vans in October, achieving one of its best months of the year. Maxus and Toyota also delivered strong results, each on track for significant ZEV credit surpluses to trade or carry into 2026.
ZEV Mandate Update
The industry continues to outperform its implied ZEV Mandate target. Battery electric cars accounted for 22.4% of the market year-to-date, comfortably above the real target of 21.7%, meaning most manufacturers are generating a surplus of credits and facing lower compliance costs.
Several major groups, including Volkswagen, BMW, BYD, SAIC, and Renault, are tracking well ahead. However, others such as Stellantis, Hyundai, Toyota, and Nissan still face significant shortfalls. These companies will need to increase their EV share in the final two months of the year or use the system’s flexibilities, such as credit trading or borrowing.
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