More than a quarter of vehicles sold in October 2025 were electric, according to the latest UK figures from automotive research body New AutoMotive and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Thanks to EVs taking a larger share of sales than ever, the overall market held steady in terms of registrations despite petrol sales dropping 25% and already low diesel sales sinking by 17% year on year. Factoring in plug-in hybrids, as well, cars with plugs took 40% of the market in October – that's more than 54,000 plug-in vehicles.
The SMMT said that with more than 386,000 EVs registered so far in 2025 the figure was already higher than the whole of 2024 with two months of sales still to go. Electric also took a strong share of the cargo market, with just under 10% of van sales made up by battery electric variants.
Corrin Reilly, data analyst at New AutoMotive, said: “In a month defined by market decline for petrol and diesel vehicles, battery electric cars have demonstrated their resilience in these tougher market conditions, reaching a 2025 market share high of 26%. The direction of travel is unmistakable: motorists are moving towards electric vehicles and not looking back.”
The introduction of the plug-in grant has helped boost sales of EVs (you can check out the list of eligible cars here), and buyers will benefit from a greater choice of electric cars than they’ve ever had, with a raft of new models from established and start-up brands arriving on the market. Half of Renaults sold in October were electric, and Ford put it in a strong performance thanks to its electric Puma.
New Chinese brands including BYD, Chery, Jaecoo, Leapmotor and Omoda accounted for more than 7% of the market last month too, showing that buyers aren’t afraid to commit to new brands.
Electrifying.com founder Ginny Buckley said: “There are some clear winners in October’s car sales figures and Ford has clearly benefitted from being the only brand currently qualifying for the full £3,750 government EV grant. Renault and BYD, meanwhile, are reaping the rewards of betting big on electric, with strong growth thanks to a wave of desirable new models. But with petrol sales collapsing and BEVs now accounting for more than a quarter of the market, the writing is on the wall for those still dragging their feet.”
Jaecoo's 7 made the list of top 10 bestsellers in October 2025 
