𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) hit a new record in the first three months of the year as buyers were boosted by a wider choice of products and the appeal of lower ongoing costs.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed the used car market was slightly down year on year between January and March, but sales of full Battery EVs soared by a third (32 per cent), with 86,943 electric vehicles in total being bought.

Despite the increase, that still only accounts for one in 23 buyers (4.3 per cent), but is is up from one in 30 buyers last year. Hybrid EVs make up 6.4 per cent of the market and were up by more than a quarter (27 per cent) to account for more than 128,000 deals in the three month period.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said the overall market saw “weakness in March in comparison with a very strong performance in 2025” but highlighted the improvement in the EV market meant upcoming policies needed to support the industry to keep it going.

“Better news is the record demand for used electric vehicles, as growing choice from manufacturers feeds through into the second-hand market. High fuel prices, given the conflict in Iran, may increase demand even further, but to maintain this momentum, every fiscal and policy lever must be pulled to ensure a healthy new car market that delivers zero emission vehicles that can in future flow through to the used market,” he said.

People are switching to electric more frequently now due to both rising prices of petrol and also improved consumer choice, added Iain Reid, of Carwow. “The latest SMMT figures reflect both cost pressures and expanding consumer confidence in electrified vehicles. The figures mirror our data, which shows that used EV enquiries are up 30 per cent compared with February and March, while a recent poll of 300 Carwow customers revealed that 39 per cent say they are more likely to buy an EV or hybrid as a result of the global political situation.

“Both of these seem to indicate that some consumers are looking at the price of fuel and seeing a used EV as a way to reduce their monthly motoring costs. But I think it also shows the depth of choices available to consumers now. That gives them the opportunity and the confidence to consider a used EV that they perhaps didn’t have before.”

While these figures from SMMT only take into account the very start of the Iran war, industry insiders say that initial figures suggest there’s much more to come.

In April, rising petrol costs saw more people make the switch to electric, says the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), as EVs became cheaper to run than traditional fuel cars to recharge.

Colin Walker, head of transport at the ECIU, said: “Just like second hand EVs, new EVs are no longer any more expensive to buy than their petrol equivalents. One of the main barriers holding people back from making the switch to electric driving has been removed, at the very moment that we’re seeing a surge of interest in EVs on the back of rising petrol prices driven by conflict in the Middle East.

“Is it any wonder that new EV sales surged by 59 per cent in April, as drivers vote with their feet and make the move to vehicles that can save them hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds a year in owning and running costs.”