Electric vehicle sales overtake petrol cars

Electric vehicles have become the UK’s most popular new car choice over a 12-month period for the first time, marking a major step towards cleaner transport in the United Kingdom.

“This milestone shows that demand for electric vehicles has continued to grow consistently,” said Simon Evans, Deputy Editor and Policy Editor at Carbon Brief.

In the 12 months to May 2026, UK drivers bought 516,490 new battery electric vehicles, compared with 504,010 new petrol cars. Electric vehicle sales rose 34% year-on-year in May, while petrol car sales fell 14%. Hybrids remained the largest overall category of new cars, but battery electric vehicles continued to close the gap. The achievement follows strong global growth, with electric vehicles accounting for one in every four new cars sold worldwide in 2025 and sales expected to keep rising in 2026.