The UK’s second-hand car sector delivered its strongest Q3 performance since 2021, with transactions rising 2.8% to 2,021,265, according to the latest SMMT figures. It marks the 11th consecutive quarter of growth, fuelled by improved new-car supply feeding more stock into the used market.
Petrol remained the dominant choice, up 1.9% to 1,145,148 units, while diesel sales fell 2.8% to 658,664. Electrified vehicles, however, continued to accelerate: hybrid sales climbed 30% to 107,727, plug-in hybrids edged up 2% to 23,480, and battery-electric cars saw the fastest rise of all, up 44.4% to 80,614, giving BEVs a record 4.0% market share as one in 25 buyers opted for a used EV.
Superminis once again led the rankings, growing 1.8% to 649,859 transactions, while dual-purpose vehicles posted the strongest uplift at 9.3%. Nearly 100,000 cars under a year old (99,313) changed hands - a third of them electrified - as Employee Car Ownership Schemes (ECOS) continued to support supply.
However, the SMMT warns that Government plans to impose company car tax on ECOS vehicles could cut new registrations by around 80,000 units a year, restricting the flow of the latest low-emission cars into the used market. The industry estimates the move could put 5,000 jobs at risk, deprive 60,000 workers of essential transport, and remove over £1 billion from sector revenues, alongside a £0.5bn hit to Treasury receipts.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said the UK needs fiscal policy that “promotes rather than prevents economic growth, social mobility and decarbonisation,” especially as record used EV uptake plays a growing role in the transition.
Read the full set of SMMT figures here.