Electrified cars take 58.4% market share in September, legacy brands overtaken by Jaecoo, Tesla

October 5, 2026

Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows September new vehicle registrations have been the strongest since 2017 with a total of 350,536 cars, with fleets taking the majority market share at 54.5%.

Battery electric vehicles (BEV) took a strong 28.3% market share in the month, as well as hybrid electric (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles taking 13.1% and 17% respectively - meaning total electrified vehicle registrations reached 58.4% this month.

The top-selling cars themselves were led by the Jaecoo 7 with 10,814 units registered, followed by the Tesla Model 3 at 9,929. Sitting behind was the Ford Puma and Kia Sportage with 6,958 and 6,521 units respectively - showing that legacy car manufacturers were overtaken by quite a margin.

It comes as traditional petrol and diesel vehicles - which includes mild-hybrid cars - amounted for 41.6% in September, meaning that electrified transport is gaining ground. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said the month's EV performance is a 'major achievement'.

"Drivers are increasingly embracing the growing choice of models made available and high fuel prices are also undoubtedly giving more consumers reason to consider going electric."

For fleets and businesses, as electrification becomes more popular on UK roads, experts stress that the economics of charging must be done as efficiently as possible.

Russell Olive, UK Director at charging solutions firm, Vaylens said: "The VAT gap between home and public charging has widened. Two employees driving the same company car can now face very different charging costs simply because one has a driveway and the other doesn’t.

"Knowing what it actually costs to charge every vehicle isn’t straightforward when charging is spread across homes, workplaces, depots and the public network, all at different prices. Pulling that data into one place gives fleets a much clearer picture of what they are spending and how their own chargers are being used."

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles estimates that businesses could save on fuel costs by up to 87% if they switched to electric fleet vehicles, which comes as the cost of petrol and diesel has significantly increased over the course of 2026.

For fleets, the data shows that the appetite for choosing electrified vehicles over pure petrol and diesel has increased hugely. However, businesses must provide access to reliable, cost-effective charging solutions in order for the switch to EVs to work for the company as well as employees and/or drivers. Incentives from manufacturers and tax benefits are inviting to fleet operators, but the economics of running them remains a huge importance.

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