The UK automotive industry reported a 21% year-on-year growth in new passenger car registrations to 272,610 units in September, SMMT’s data revealed. This year to date, the overall registrations increased 20% YoY to 1,451,908 units.
The plug-in vehicle industry also experienced an upward trend with a 27% YoY growth.
UK’s plug-in car registrations
Monthly (September 2023)
According to the report, plug-in electric vehicle registrations reached 63,858 units last month. It indicated an increase of 27% from the same period last year.
This notable registration growth enabled plug-in cars to obtain a market share of 23.4%, up from just 20.4% in September 2022.
In contrast, non-rechargeable hybrids registered 38,014 units, with a share of 13.9% of the market. Below are the specific data:
| Powertrain | Registrations | YoY Change | Market Share |
| BEVs | 45,323 | up 19% | 16.6% |
| PHEVs | 18,535 | up 51% | 6.8% |
| Total | 63,858 | up 27% | 23.4% |
YTD (Jan-Sep 2023)
This year to date, new passenger plug-in car registrations hit 337,534 units. It represents a 35% increase from the same period last year. It also claimed 23.2% of the overall automotive market.
In hindsight, it registered over 368,000 new plug-in vehicles in FY 2022, with a 22.8% market share.
| Powertrain | Registrations | YoY Change | Market Share |
| BEVs | 238,541 | up 36% | 16.4% |
| PHEVs | 98,993 | up 34% | 6.8% |
| Total | 337,534 | up 35% | 23.2% |
Top vehicle models
Unfortunately, no all-electric model got in the top 10 rankings for the best-selling vehicles in September.
The Tesla Model Y nearly claimed the 10th spot with its new registrations of 4,029 units. However, it failed to surpass MG HS’s 4,030 registrations.
Below are the rankings for the month and YTD:
| Rankings | Models | September 2023 | Rankings | Models | YTD (Jan-Sep 2023) |
| 1 | Ford Puma | 37,312 | 1 | Nissan Qashqai | 8,565 |
| 2 | Nissan Qashqai | 32,582 | 2 | Ford Puma | 8,087 |
| 3 | Vauxhall Corsa | 30,177 | 3 | Kia Sportage | 5,739 |
| 4 | Tesla Model Y | 28,177 | 4 | Ford Kuga | 4,638 |
| 5 | Kia Sportage | 28,153 | 5 | MG ZS | 4,613 |
| 6 | Hyundai Tucson | 27,429 | 6 | Hyundai Tucson | 4,546 |
| 7 | Nissan Juke | 25,547 | 7 | Vauxhall Corsa | 4,485 |
| 8 | Vauxhall Mokka | 22,942 | 8 | Volkswagen Polo | 4,427 |
| 9 | MINI | 22,470 | 9 | Nissan Juke | 4,411 |
| 10 | Ford Fiesta | 22,446 | 10 | MG HS | 4,030 |
“A bumper September means the new car market remains strong despite economic challenges. However, with tougher EV targets for manufacturers coming into force next year, we need to accelerate the transition, encouraging all motorists to make the switch. This means adding carrots to the stick – creating private purchase incentives aligned with business benefits, equalising on-street charging VAT with off-street domestic rates and mandating chargepoint rollout in line with how electric vehicle sales are now to be dictated. The forthcoming Autumn Statement is the perfect opportunity to create the conditions that will deliver the zero emission mobility essential to our shared net zero ambition.”
SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes
See Also:
- UK provides £89 million of funding for “cutting edge” EV tech development
- Toyota, Suzuki to co-develop bZ small e-SUV for 2025
- UK delays new ICE vehicle sales ban by five years to 2035
- UK automakers demand tax credits to encourage customers to switch to EVs
- BMW to spend £600M on its Oxford Mini factory in the UK
Despite the remarkable growth in plug-in vehicle registrations last month, petrol-based models remain the industry leader, with a share of 38.7%. That said, the UK Government must continue to develop relevant policies and programs to support the shift to electric vehicles.
