Car industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released its monthly sales figures, and the car market was up nearly a quarter in April on the previous year’s figures, with EV sales up almost 60%. 

That means nearly a quarter of cars sold in the month were electric, and nearly two in every five cars registered came with a plug. 

So far in 2026 demand for electric cars has gone up by 22%, with 177,000 more of them on the roads – contributing to the latest milestone that the SMMT says has been hit, which is the two millionth EV sold. 

The electric car market has seen a rise in interest from drivers wanting to escape high fuel prices, but the SMMT has sounded a negative note over the figures, still complaining that the UK government’s zero emission vehicle mandate is too tough for carmakers to meet. 

Some seem to be doing just fine though – according to the latest numbers from data firm New Automotive, BYD has the biggest share of the new EV market, taking a 7.1% slice of sales. 

Kia and Volkswagen made up the top three, while Peugeot languishes near the bottom of the table, the only carmaker whose EV sales went down in April, selling less than half the number of electric cars it did in April 2025. 

​Tesla is the best performer in the year to date figures – it only gets sporadic deliveries of cars to the UK, so its monthly performance is hit and miss. It’s still around 5% down on its 2025 numbers, though. 

Electrifying founder Ginny Buckley has welcomed the UK’s EV sales landmark: “Reaching two million EVs in the UK is a significant milestone and government support, including the electric car grant, has helped drivers make the switch.

“But this growth has also been driven by huge investment from the charging industry and car makers and, crucially, a wave of genuinely compelling electric cars with longer range, faster charging and broader choice than ever before. That combination is accelerating adoption, and it’s what will keep momentum building.”