UK new car registrations were 12% higher in September than a year earlier, with electric vehicles and Chinese brands taking a larger share of the market, according to Reuters.
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UK new car registrations in September were 12% higher than in the same month a year earlier, according to Reuters, making the month one of the stronger readings of the year for the market. September is one of the two plate-change months in the UK — the other is March — when the identifier on new registration plates changes, and buyers and dealers concentrate activity around that date. That gives September disproportionate weight in the annual total and turns its year-on-year comparison into a closely watched indicator. The gain was accompanied by a change in the mix of vehicles sold rather than by a uniform rise across every segment of the market.
Electric vehicles increased their share of September sales, in line with a trend that is shaped heavily by UK regulation rather than by fuel prices alone. Under the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, manufacturers must ensure that a rising proportion of the cars they sell are zero-emission — 28% in 2025 and 33% in 2026 — or make a payment for each vehicle by which they fall short. Because the target is measured against each company's own sales, manufacturers have an incentive to steer buyers towards battery models through pricing, finance offers and fleet arrangements. How quickly EV share rises therefore reflects compliance strategy as much as consumer preference.
Chinese manufacturers accounted for a larger portion of UK sales, after brands such as BYD, MG, Chery's Jaecoo and Omoda, and GWM expanded their UK line-ups in recent years. The UK has not imposed the countervailing duties on Chinese-built electric cars that the European Union introduced, a difference that industry participants regularly cite when comparing the two markets. Chinese entrants have generally reached UK buyers through established dealer groups, and in some cases through agency or direct-sales models rather than by building their own retail networks. Their growth adds competitive pressure in the compact and mid-size segments where battery models are most concentrated.
The plate-change calendar means September normally accounts for a large slice of annual registrations, so shifts in buyer behaviour show up more clearly than in quieter months. Fleet and business purchases, which represent a substantial share of UK registrations, often drive monthly swings because companies time vehicle replacement around tax and accounting cycles. For manufacturers, the September result feeds directly into how annual targets — including those set by the EV mandate — are tracking as the year enters its final quarter. It also shapes dealer order books, stock planning and the availability of specific models in the months that follow.
Registrations were 12% higher than in September of the previous year, according to Reuters. The increase was accompanied by a change in the sales mix, with electric vehicles and Chinese brands accounting for a larger share of what was sold.
The UK changes its registration plate identifier twice a year, in March and September, and buyers and dealers tend to concentrate purchases around those dates. Because of that, September typically accounts for a large share of annual registrations, making its year-on-year comparison more informative than that of an average month.
It is a regulation requiring manufacturers to ensure a rising proportion of the cars they sell are zero-emission, starting at 28% in 2025 and rising to 33% in 2026. Companies that fall short of their individual target must make a payment for each vehicle of shortfall. The policy is intended to prepare the market for the phase-out of new petrol and diesel car sales, with some hybrids permitted until 2035.
What the September Figure Shows
Electric Vehicles Take a Larger Share
Chinese Brands Expand Their UK Footprint
Why September Carries Extra Weight
What the Mix Shift Means for the Industry
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A larger market combined with a changing mix has consequences across several parts of the automotive sector. Charging operators, grid planners and repair networks respond to the number of electric vehicles on the road rather than to total sales, so a rising EV share alters what infrastructure they need to build. Established manufacturers face pressure on both compliance and pricing, because the expansion of Chinese brands tends to occur in the same vehicle classes. Dealers must also manage residual values, which have been a sensitive area for used electric cars in the UK as supply has grown. Based on public news sources.
Brands including BYD, MG, Chery's Jaecoo and Omoda, and GWM have expanded their UK ranges in recent years. Most have entered through established dealer groups rather than building their own retail networks, and the UK has not imposed the countervailing duties on Chinese-built electric cars that the European Union introduced.
The ZEV mandate ties each manufacturer's sales mix to a legally binding zero-emission target, so companies use pricing, finance offers and fleet deals to move buyers towards battery models. Company car tax treatment, which is considerably more favourable for electric vehicles than for petrol or diesel equivalents, also channels a large volume of business sales towards EVs. Rising model availability across more segments supports that shift.
