New car market dips 1.6% in November as EV growth slows ahead of new tax regime

UK new car registrations slipped 1.6% in November to 151,154 units, with private demand falling 5.5%, according to the latest SMMT data. Fleet registrations held steady with a 0.2% lift, while business volumes — a small share of the market — rose 18%.

Electric and hybrid vehicles together accounted for 51.4% of all registrations, marking a third straight month where petrol and diesel cars were in the minority. Battery-electric vehicles reached a 26.4% share, supported by the Electric Car Grant, but their 3.6% volume growth was the slowest in nearly two years. Plug-in hybrids grew 14.8% (11.9% share), and hybrids rose 1.3% (13.1% share).

Despite 426,209 BEVs registered so far in 2025, their 22.7% year-to-date share remains well below the government’s 28% target under the ZEV mandate.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes warned that plans for a new pence-per-mile electric VED (“eVED”) risk dampening EV demand: “We should be taking every opportunity to encourage drivers to make the switch, not punishing them for doing so.”

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