EVs accounted for nearly a third of new car sales in August according to the latest figures from car industry body the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders). 

The overall new car market was up 14% in what is traditionally a quiet month before the September number plate change. Just under 95,000 cars were sold in August. 

Cars with plugs took nearly 45% of the total market in the month, outperforming petrol models. 

The Tesla Model 3 was the bestselling EV in the month, with 1,296 of them finding new homes, followed by the Tesla Model Y and Vauxhall Frontera. The Jaecoo E5 and Mercedes-Benz CLA rounded out the top five electric models. 

SMMT boss Mike Hawes sounded a familiar note, welcoming the government’s proposed review of the ZEV mandate targets as a means of protecting jobs: “August is a low-volume month, so September will be the acid test. The industry is doing everything it can to help drivers switch, but mandate targets must be grounded in the reality of demand.”

According to analysis from research firm New Automotive, UK carmakers outperformed their controversial ZEV mandate targets for the third month in a row.

Of carmakers who sell a mix of vehicles, Kia was the best performing, with nearly 45% of its cars sold in the month electric. It also overtook BYD to second place in the overall EV rankings. 

Jaguar Land Rover is going to need to get some EV sales on the books before the end of the year – it’s the only major carmaker that hasn’t sold any in 2026, though it won’t take much to overtake Subaru, where 0.5% of its cars sold this year have been zero emission. 

New Automotive says that the performance of electric sales so far this year means that there are enough surplus credits to cover everyone – manufacturers are allowed to sell their surplus EV sales to other carmakers who are struggling. 

Electrifying founder Ginny Buckley has welcomed the month’s EV sales: “These figures reinforce why we need to stop constantly moving the goalposts. The EV market is heading in the right direction and manufacturers are building up a significant surplus of credits.

“Of course not all car makers are equal when it comes to EVs – some have embraced the transition far more successfully than others – but we can’t let those lagging behind hold the whole market back. Whatever government decides on the mandate, it needs to give the industry and drivers certainty – and then stick to it.”