The headline from September's UK new-car market was the record number of electric registrations, but the wider fuel mix tells an equally important story.
Plug-in hybrid registrations increased by 55.5% year on year in September, while battery-electric registrations rose by 36.3%.
September's powertrain numbers
According to SMMT data, September registrations were:
- Battery electric: 99,201, up 36.3%
- Plug-in hybrid: 59,571, up 55.5%
- Hybrid: 45,839, down 4.3%
- Petrol: 131,864, down 6.7%
- Diesel: 14,061, up 11.5%
Petrol remained the single largest fuel type during the month with a 37.6% share, but that was substantially lower than the 45.2% share recorded in September 2025.
Plug-in hybrids are growing particularly quickly
PHEVs combine an electric motor and rechargeable battery with a combustion engine. For drivers who can charge regularly but still want the flexibility of petrol power for longer journeys, that combination can be attractive.
The market has also gained a much wider range of plug-in hybrid SUVs and family cars, which helps explain why the segment is growing faster than conventional hybrids.
Battery-electric share continues to rise
Battery-electric cars accounted for 28.3% of September registrations, up from 23.3% a year earlier.
Across the first nine months of 2026, BEVs represented 26.16% of registrations. That is strong growth, although it remains below the level required by the current ZEV mandate target.
Petrol is still the largest powertrain year to date
Despite its declining share, petrol remains the biggest category across 2026 so far, accounting for around 41.5% of registrations.
That is important because the transition is not happening overnight. Millions of petrol cars will remain on UK roads and in the used market for many years.
Diesel is now a much smaller new-car category
Diesel registrations rose in September compared with the same month last year, but the fuel type represented only 4% of the monthly market and around 4.5% year to date.
Diesel can still make sense for some high-mileage drivers and larger vehicles, but its role in the new passenger-car market is far smaller than it was a decade ago.
What this means for used-car buyers
Today's new-car mix becomes tomorrow's used-car supply. Strong growth in BEV and PHEV registrations means buyers should expect a much wider choice of second-hand electrified vehicles over the next several years.
That should improve competition, but buyers will need to understand the differences between full EVs, plug-in hybrids and conventional hybrids rather than treating them as interchangeable.
The September figures show a market in transition rather than one fuel type replacing another all at once.
Source: SMMT UK new car registration data, September 2026.
