UK September car registrations hit highest level since 2017

UK new-car registrations rose 12.1% year on year to 350,518 in September, the highest total for the month since 2017, according to preliminary figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Battery-electric vehicles reached a record monthly total, with 99,199 registrations, up 36.3% from a year earlier. The electric cars accounted for 28.3% of September’s new-car market. The overall registration increase marked the market’s 10th consecutive month of year-on-year growth, the SMMT data showed. September is traditionally a busy month for new-car sales following a registration-plate change. The figures are preliminary. The SMMT is scheduled to publish final September data at 0800 GMT on Monday, October 5, so the totals and market shares could be revised. Despite the monthly record, battery-electric vehicles made up 26.2% of new-car sales in the first nine months of 2026, below the 33% target set for the full year under the zero-emission vehicle mandate. The September share and the year-to-date share measure different periods and should not be conflated.