1 in 4 New Cars in July Were Electric. Here’s What That Tells Us.
QUICK ANSWER – DID EVS OUTSELL PETROL CARS IN THE UK IN JULY 2026?
Yes. Battery electric vehicles took 27.5% of the UK new car market in July 2026, against 23.3% for pure petrol – the first time BEVs have outsold petrol in a single month on record. 43,106 fully electric cars were registered, up 44.5% year-on-year. The Renault 5 topped the EV chart with 1,805 registrations, followed by the Kia EV3 with 1,691.
Something that’s been building for years finally happened in July, and I’m not talking about climate change for once, and I want to make sure it doesn’t just scroll past in a news roundup.
For the first time in the history of the UK new car market, BEVs aka battery electric vehicles outsold pure petrol cars in a single month. Not hybrids lumped in. Not combined figures. Pure electric versus pure petrol. Electric: 27.5%. Petrol: 23.3%.
I’ve been waiting for this number for a while. It deserves more than a line in a trade newsletter.
“I remember chatting to my petrolhead neighbour Ben in 2021 who said “he would NEVER go electric. He’s just got a Renault 5 and loves it! Especially the fuel savings and performance.”
Ric Boullemier, Sustainable Travel Journalist
The Numbers – What the Data Shows
The SMMT figures for July 2026 are striking across the board. Total new car registrations rose 11.7% year-on-year to 156,571 – the best July since 2019. But the story is the EV share.
UK EV SALES – JULY 2026 (SMMT)
43,106
fully electric cars registered in July 2026
+44.5%
year-on-year growth in BEV registrations
27.5%
BEV share of the UK new car market in July – a record high
23.3%
petrol market share in July – for the first time, below EVs
25.3%
BEV market share year-to-date 2026
2.15 million+
fully electric cars now on UK roads total
Renault 5
best-selling EV in July – 1,805 registrations
Kia EV3
second – 1,691 registrations
BYD
third-largest EV brand by volume in July
The ZEV mandate headline target for 2026 is 33%. New AutoMotive estimates the effective compliance threshold, once manufacturer flexibilities and CO2 credits are factored in, sits at around 24.6%. The market is running at 25.3% year-to-date – ahead of that effective threshold for the second consecutive month. That’s a first.
RELATED: Want to understand the ZEV mandate and what it means for buyers? ZEV Mandate Explained – What It Means for You in 2026
The Charging Network That’s Keeping Pace
More EVs on the road means more demand on the public network. Zapmap data shows the UK hit 122,724 public chargers across 47,441 locations by the end of July 2026, with 1,553 new units added in the month – 359 of them rapid or ultra-rapid. Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder and COO at Zapmap, put it well in the Q1 2026 data release:
QUOTE
“Steady growth in the roll-out of charging infrastructure has continued. It’s encouraging to see new hub locations throughout the length and breadth of the British Isles. This is what Zapmap’s driver satisfaction survey consistently tells us EV drivers most want and need. We’re also pleased to see LEVI contracts beginning to be awarded and on-street installations getting underway – this is all important as we see a record number of drivers making the transition to electric vehicles.”
Melanie Shufflebotham, Co-founder and COO, Zapmap
That record number of new drivers Melanie mentions is exactly what the July SMMT data confirms. And with more drivers on more networks, knowing which charger is available – live, before you leave – matters more than ever. Zapmap’s live status layer covers all 122,000+ chargers in real time. Zappay handles payment across multiple networks from one account. Download it before your next longer trip.
RELATED: Planning a summer road trip? How to Plan Any EV Journey Without Stress – The Zapmap Guide
Best-Selling EVs – and How to Get One for Less Than You Think
The Renault 5’s dominance in July is no surprise if you’ve seen one in person. It looks great, the interior is well thought-out, and with the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant applied to qualifying versions, the price lands somewhere that makes a monthly lease payment look very sensible indeed.
Shane Pither, Head of Select Electric at Select Car Leasing, noticed something important at Select Live in June 2026 – the questions have changed. People aren’t asking whether EVs work anymore. They’re asking which one to get. Through Select Car Leasing, the Electric Car Grant is already factored into the headline monthly rate on qualifying models. The saving is in the number you see, not something you claim afterwards.
RELATED: See current lease deals on the July best-sellers: Renault 5 and Kia EV3 Lease Deals – August 2026
What is the KEY to ultra cheap motoring?
Would you believe me if I told you it costs me less than a Tesco main meal deal (£5.50) to fully charge my EV overnight?
Charging overnight on off peak electricity is by far the most efficient way to charge your car, and that’s before we throw solar and battery tech into the mix!
With 2.15 million EVs on UK roads, around 80% of charging happens at home or at work. The public network is mainly there for longer journeys – but the home charger is what makes EV ownership a no-brainer and low-effort every day.
Lets take the Sevadis MaxiCharger Gen2 as an example – it handles that job from 7.4kW, with smart scheduling, solar integration across three charging modes, dynamic load balancing and V2H capability. In summer, the Fully Green mode means many drivers cover their charging costs from surplus solar generation. V2H means the car’s battery can feed the home when the grid is expensive. And makes you feel very smug to be controlling where your energy comes from and not relying on volatile oil prices.
RELATED: Why home charging is the most important part of EV ownership: Home EV Charging Guide – What to Install and Why It Matters
WHAT TO DO NEXT (Other suppliers are available but we work with the following shout-outs because I think they’re brilliant…)
Check current EV lease deals at selectcarleasing.co.uk – the grant is already in the price on qualifying models.
Download Zapmap free and find what’s available near you before your next trip.
Visit sevadis.com to see the MaxiCharger Gen2 range and find a registered installer.
Subscribe for weekly EV content – and drop a comment: did you go electric this year?
People Also Ask
Q: Did EVs outsell petrol cars in the UK in July 2026?
A: Yes. BEVs took 27.5% of the UK new car market in July 2026 against 23.3% for pure petrol – the first time in UK automotive history that electric outsold petrol in a single month. Total BEV registrations were 43,106, up 44.5% year-on-year.
Q: What was the best-selling EV in the UK in July 2026?
A: The Renault 5 with 1,805 registrations, followed by the Kia EV3 with 1,691 and the Jaecoo E5 with 1,291. BYD was the third-largest EV brand by volume in July.
Q: How many public EV chargers are there in the UK?
A: According to Zapmap, the UK reached 122,724 public chargers across 47,441 locations by end of July 2026, up 9.5% year-on-year. Zapmap shows live availability across all of them so you know which ones are working before you leave.
Q: Is now a good time to lease an EV?
A: The combination of the Electric Car Grant (up to £3,750 off qualifying models), the 4% BiK rate for company car drivers, and competitive lease deals through brokers like Select Car Leasing makes 2026 a strong year to switch. The question has moved from ‘should I?’ to ‘which one?’
Q: What home EV charger should I get?
A: The Sevadis MaxiCharger Gen2 is a strong option – smart scheduling, solar integration, dynamic load balancing and V2H in one unit. Available through 800+ UK electrical wholesale branches with next-day delivery. Visit sevadis.comfor more.
