UK EV market share reaches 27.3% in strongest May since 2019
Overall, the UK new car market grew by 7.1% to 160,662 units in May, recording its strongest performance for the month since 2019. The SMMT attributed much of the growth to increasing consumer demand, expanding model availability and aggressive manufacturer incentives, particularly in the electric vehicle segment.
According to the SMMT, the number of available BEV products increased by 25.6% year-to-date. A total of 31 new battery-electric models have received registrations since the beginning of 2026. In May alone, the UK market saw a net increase of 21 additional vehicle models compared to the same month last year.
The trade association said that growing model choice and sustained discounting continue to drive electric vehicle uptake. Government support measures, including the Electric Car Grant, also contributed to rising demand.
EV market remains below mandated targets
As always, the SMMT warned that the UK market still remains significantly behind the trajectory required under the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. While BEVs reached a 27.3% share in May, year-to-date electric vehicle share stands at 23.9%, well below the 33% target mandated for 2026.
The organisation said the widening gap between actual consumer demand and regulatory requirements is increasing pressure on manufacturers, many of which continue to subsidise EV sales through discounting and incentive programmes.
At the same time, the UK government’s seventh Carbon Budget, published this week, envisages electric vehicles accounting for 95% of new car and van sales by 2030. Carbon Budgets are five-year carbon emissions limits set by the UK Government. That ambition even exceeds the current ZEV mandate targets of 80% for cars and 70% for vans by the end of the decade. According to the SMMT, achieving such a rapid transition would require substantially higher levels of fiscal support and infrastructure investment.
“Britain’s car buyers are responding to a market offering more choice than ever, from both new and familiar brands, resulting in a robust May,” said SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes. “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.”
Industry calls for transition review
Members of the UK House of Commons Business and Trade Committee have called on the government to complete its planned review of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate before 2027, warning that current regulations pose an “existential risk” to the domestic automotive industry.
In a letter to the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Transport, the committee argued that the current ZEV mandate thresholds are ‘outdated’ and are ‘severely hurting profit margins of UK manufacturers.’
The SMMT agrees with this stance and urged the UK government to review the pathway towards zero-emission mobility to ensure that regulatory targets remain aligned with market realities and consumer demand. “While industry shares the long-term ambition, the pathway to Net Zero must be credible,” said Hawes. “It cannot come at the cost of lost competitiveness and deindustrialisation.”
The organisation warned that insufficient market support could undermine investment conditions in the UK automotive sector while slowing fleet renewal, which remains central to reducing road transport emissions.
At the same time, EV advocacy group EVA England criticised the call for a faster review. Vicky Edmonds said the focus should remain on accelerating EV adoption rather than creating uncertainty around the transition.
“The priority must be turning that driver interest into real transactions, not creating more confusion about the future,” Edmonds said.
smmt.co.uk (Data), fleetnews.co.uk (ZEV mandate review)
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