Good Morning. April marked another major milestone for the UK car market, with over 2 million BEVs now on the road. BEVs continue to strengthen their position, accounting for 26% of new registrations this month and growing 55.6% compared to April last year.
As in previous months, electrified vehicles are doing all of the heavy lifting. Despite overall registrations rising by 22.4%, both petrol and diesel declined year-on-year. It’s not just that EVs are gaining share, they are offsetting a shrinking ICE market. Without them, the market would be in decline.
Looking at manufacturers, April adds another layer to what is still a very open market. BYD topping the rankings for the first time with a 7.1% share is a notable moment. But this was not a Tesla month, it remains to be seen if they can dethrone them when Tesla returns to volumes. Looking at y-t-d figures shows a 0.3% difference between Tesla at the top of the table and BYD. Tesla has topped the BEV rankings every year since it overtook Nissan in 2019, but it has never faced as much pressure as it does now.
The more important point is how little separates the market. The top 10 account for around 60% of registrations, but within that, shares are tightly grouped. Just two percentage points separate Tesla in first from Mercedes-Benz in tenth. No one has established a dominant position, so there is all to play for.
Welcome to the latest edition of Electric Car Count, your monthly update on the UK’s EV transition from New AutoMotive.
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ZEV Mandate scores
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UK passes 2 million BEVs
April saw the UK pass the milestone of 2 million BEVs on the road. Alongside this, BEVs took 26% of new registrations, growing 55.6% year-on-year. While partly driven by a weaker comparator last year, this still represents a step up in the scale of the market.Growth continues to come from EVs
Overall registrations rose in April, but petrol and diesel both declined year-on-year. This pattern is now consistent: EVs are driving overall market growth, while ICE vehicles continue to contract.Competitive market with no clear leader
BYD ranked first for BEV registrations in April, but the broader market remains wide open. Shares are tightly grouped across manufacturers, and the top 10 account for around 60% of registrations. No single player has broken away.
Vans: Moving Forward, But Uneven
April was a strong month for electric vans, with BEVs reaching 11.4% of the market – the highest April share on record.
That said, the van market continues to lag behind cars. While uptake is increasing, it remains more uneven and more dependent on individual manufacturer strategies and fleet decisions. The direction is clearly positive, but the transition is still at an earlier stage.
There are also similar dynamics to the car market starting to appear. As targets tighten and flexibilities remain in place, the mix of technologies being used to meet them becomes more important. Short-term fluctuations in BEV volumes don’t necessarily indicate weakening demand, but rather shifts in how manufacturers are choosing to manage compliance.
2026 ZEV Mandate Update
April provides further evidence of how the ZEV Mandate is shaping behaviour. PHEVs are growing strongly, up 39.5% year-to-date, and are clearly being used as part of compliance strategies.
As always, this comes with a caveat. The gap between official and real-world emissions, combined with inconsistent electric-only usage, means that growth in PHEVs risks overstating the pace of decarbonisation.
What this leaves is a more complex picture. BEVs are scaling quickly and taking a growing share of the market, but they are not the only route being used to meet targets. The transition is progressing, but not in a purely BEV-led way.
That’s it from us this month. As ever, there’s loads more in the full bulletin - so do click the button above to find more about cars, vans, HGVs and motorbikes.
All the best,
Team New AutoMotive
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