The brand new automobile market benefitted from a 12.4% enhance in March as uptake rose to 357,103 items, in line with the newest figures from the Society of Motor Producers and Merchants (SMMT)
The brand new automobile market benefitted from a 12.4% enhance in March as uptake rose to 357,103 items, in line with the newest figures from the Society of Motor Producers and Merchants (SMMT). This development, in a very powerful month of the yr for the brand new automobile market, builds on the March 2024 efficiency, the place uptake rose by 10.4%. In consequence, this yr’s ‘new plate’ month represents the very best March efficiency since 2019.1
Fleet registrations rose 11.5%, whereas enterprise patrons decreased by a marginal -0.3%. There was additionally a restoration in non-public purchaser uptake following final yr’s lacklustre efficiency, with a 14.5% rise in registrations.
All varieties of electrified automobiles recorded development within the month, with hybrid electrical automobiles (HEVs) up 27.7%, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) up 37.9%, and battery electrical automobiles (BEVs) up a large 43.2% as producers incentivised uptake with vital discounting.2 In consequence, March grew to become the biggest month ever for registrations of electrical vehicles. Some 69,313 new vehicles reached the highway as producers sought to ship ever extra zero emission automobiles to drivers throughout the brand new ‘25 plate’ month, which normally accounts for round 16% of annual registrations and, as such, offers a robust indicator of probably general annual efficiency.
Whereas EV market share improved considerably on March 2024, at 19.4% it stays greater than eight share factors behind targets set by the ZEV Mandate. Moreover, given the VED Costly Automotive Complement can now apply to eligible new EVs from 1 April – doubtlessly elevating possession prices for many EV drivers by greater than £2,000 over the subsequent six years – the March EV efficiency may have been boosted by shrewd patrons looking for to get forward of the taxation improve3. This underscores the problem going through producers whose 2025 EV gross sales should speed up to twenty-eight% share over the course of the yr.
Producers proceed to incentivise EVs, incentives that price the business some £4.5 billion final yr. Funding in product improvement can also be bringing ever better option to customers, with greater than 130 EV fashions now accessible throughout each measurement class, and common vary now reaching above 290 miles – greater than double the typical weekly mileage.4 Yr so far, nevertheless, BEV uptake contains 20.7% of the market, highlighting the significance of presidency incentives and obligatory targets for chargepoint rollout to reassure customers and stimulate EV demand.
On this regard, final week’s Spring Assertion was a missed alternative to intervene, as authorities incentives can change client behaviour. An SMMT survey in February 2025 discovered that fewer than one in 4 new automobile patrons intend to purchase an electrical automobile by 2028 however two in 5 electrical sceptics may very well be satisfied to change if authorities incentives have been accessible, as is the case in most different European markets.5 Within the absence of such client assist, and with September and the introduction of the 75-plate the subsequent main alternative to drive EV quantity uptake considerably, fast reform of the regulation is crucial – else the business will face compliance prices that can undermine the viability of their UK operations.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Govt, mentioned, “A welcome return to development, and substantial development at that, is a fillip for the business. Furthermore, with March being the very best month ever for electrical automobile registrations, there’s purpose for optimism. Producers stay dedicated to the market decarbonisation the nation and the atmosphere calls for, however we want sustained development, not a short-term bubble pushed by unsustainable producer discounting and drivers dashing to beat a tax hike. With out substantive authorities assist for customers, the present regulatory regime is undeliverable. A fast response to the federal government session is subsequently wanted – one which provides flexibilities that mirror the pure degree of demand and helps the business to ship development within the face of a troublesome set of worldwide challenges.”
| MARCH | % Change | YEAR-TO-DATE | % Change | |||||||
| MARQUE | 2025 | % Market share | 2024 | % Market share | 2025 | % Market share | 2024 | % Market share | ||
| Abarth | 89 | 0.02 | 153 | 0.05 | -41.83 | 134 | 0.02 | 282 | 0.05 | -52.48 |
| Alfa Romeo | 616 | 0.17 | 196 | 0.06 | 214.29 | 741 | 0.13 | 329 | 0.06 | 125.23 |
| Alpine | 26 | 0.01 | 90 | 0.03 | -71.11 | 42 | 0.01 | 150 | 0.03 | -72.00 |
| Audi | 17,513 | 4.90 | 18,454 | 5.81 | -5.10 | 27,806 | 4.79 | 32,462 | 5.95 | -14.34 |
| Bentley | 172 | 0.05 | 147 | 0.05 | 17.01 | 291 | 0.05 | 245 | 0.04 | 18.78 |
| BMW | 21,570 | 6.04 | 20,065 | 6.31 | 7.50 | 35,559 | 6.13 | 36,771 | 6.74 | -3.30 |
| BYD | 6,480 | 1.81 | 759 | 0.24 | 753.75 | 9,271 | 1.60 | 1,278 | 0.23 | 625.43 |
| Chevrolet | 10 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 900.00 | 27 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 2,600.00 |
| Citroen | 2,250 | 0.63 | 4,870 | 1.53 | -53.80 | 4,389 | 0.76 | 9,374 | 1.72 | -53.18 |
| Cupra | 6,182 | 1.73 | 3,982 | 1.25 | 55.25 | 10,032 | 1.73 | 6,983 | 1.28 | 43.66 |
| Dacia | 5,971 | 1.67 | 4,993 | 1.57 | 19.59 | 9,261 | 1.60 | 8,325 | 1.53 | 11.24 |
| DS | 75 | 0.02 | 184 | 0.06 | -59.24 | 198 | 0.03 | 370 | 0.07 | -46.49 |
| Fiat | 2,050 | 0.57 | 3,387 | 1.07 | -39.47 | 4,084 | 0.70 | 5,259 | 0.96 | -22.34 |
| Fisker | 0 | 0.00 | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 207 | 0.04 | 0.00 | |
| Ford | 23,634 | 6.62 | 17,026 | 5.36 | 38.81 | 34,703 | 5.98 | 32,567 | 5.97 | 6.56 |
| Genesis | 214 | 0.06 | 141 | 0.04 | 51.77 | 419 | 0.07 | 218 | 0.04 | 92.20 |
| GWM | 29 | 0.01 | 310 | 0.10 | -90.65 | 86 | 0.01 | 422 | 0.08 | -79.62 |
| Honda | 5,851 | 1.64 | 7,919 | 2.49 | -26.11 | 8,902 | 1.53 | 12,182 | 2.23 | -26.92 |
| Hyundai | 14,443 | 4.04 | 13,570 | 4.27 | 6.43 | 24,886 | 4.29 | 23,480 | 4.30 | 5.99 |
| Ineos | 40 | 0.01 | 38 | 0.01 | 5.26 | 55 | 0.01 | 70 | 0.01 | -21.43 |
| Jaecoo | 1,786 | 0.50 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3,235 | 0.56 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Jaguar | 736 | 0.21 | 4,690 | 1.48 | -84.31 | 1,725 | 0.30 | 6,759 | 1.24 | -74.48 |
| Jeep | 2,568 | 0.72 | 1,609 | 0.51 | 59.60 | 4,085 | 0.70 | 2,489 | 0.46 | 64.12 |
| KGM | 367 | 0.10 | 385 | 0.12 | -4.68 | 513 | 0.09 | 603 | 0.11 | -14.93 |
| Kia | 19,993 | 5.60 | 18,478 | 5.81 | 8.20 | 35,063 | 6.04 | 33,084 | 6.06 | 5.98 |
| Land Rover | 14,178 | 3.97 | 12,376 | 3.89 | 14.56 | 21,145 | 3.64 | 18,572 | 3.40 | 13.85 |
| Leapmotor | 193 | 0.05 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 193 | 0.03 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Lexus | 2,744 | 0.77 | 2,758 | 0.87 | -0.51 | 4,404 | 0.76 | 3,863 | 0.71 | 14.00 |
| Maserati | 65 | 0.02 | 91 | 0.03 | -28.57 | 102 | 0.02 | 156 | 0.03 | -34.62 |
| Maxus | 10 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.00 | 900.00 | 31 | 0.01 | 1 | 0.00 | 3,000.00 |
| Mazda | 6,889 | 1.93 | 4,628 | 1.46 | 48.85 | 10,996 | 1.89 | 7,467 | 1.37 | 47.26 |
| Mercedes-Benz | 17,664 | 4.95 | 19,794 | 6.23 | -10.76 | 27,415 | 4.72 | 28,543 | 5.23 | -3.95 |
| MG | 15,876 | 4.45 | 12,934 | 4.07 | 22.75 | 24,641 | 4.24 | 23,138 | 4.24 | 6.50 |
| MINI | 6,086 | 1.70 | 6,484 | 2.04 | -6.14 | 13,049 | 2.25 | 12,594 | 2.31 | 3.61 |
| Nissan | 16,778 | 4.70 | 20,559 | 6.47 | -18.39 | 27,855 | 4.80 | 33,403 | 6.12 | -16.61 |
| Omoda | 2,082 | 0.58 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3,194 | 0.55 | 0.00 | 0.00 | ||
| Peugeot | 16,176 | 4.53 | 11,944 | 3.76 | 35.43 | 28,536 | 4.92 | 21,306 | 3.91 | 33.93 |
| Polestar | 2,434 | 0.68 | 803 | 0.25 | 203.11 | 3,695 | 0.64 | 1,298 | 0.24 | 184.67 |
| Porsche | 3,537 | 0.99 | 3,128 | 0.98 | 13.08 | 5,331 | 0.92 | 4,848 | 0.89 | 9.96 |
| Renault | 11,072 | 3.10 | 8,783 | 2.76 | 26.06 | 17,693 | 3.05 | 14,664 | 2.69 | 20.66 |
| SEAT | 4,038 | 1.13 | 6,041 | 1.90 | -33.16 | 6,953 | 1.20 | 11,150 | 2.04 | -37.64 |
| Skoda | 13,609 | 3.81 | 9,982 | 3.14 | 36.34 | 22,572 | 3.89 | 18,451 | 3.38 | 22.33 |
| Skywell | 6 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 7 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| good | 385 | 0.11 | 306 | 0.10 | 25.82 | 487 | 0.08 | 531 | 0.10 | -8.29 |
| Subaru | 627 | 0.18 | 641 | 0.20 | -2.18 | 825 | 0.14 | 899 | 0.16 | -8.23 |
| Suzuki | 3,387 | 0.95 | 5,049 | 1.59 | -32.92 | 5,925 | 1.02 | 7,676 | 1.41 | -22.81 |
| Tesla | 7,164 | 2.01 | 6,995 | 2.20 | 2.42 | 12,474 | 2.15 | 11,768 | 2.16 | 6.00 |
| Toyota | 18,516 | 5.19 | 16,886 | 5.31 | 9.65 | 26,144 | 4.50 | 26,193 | 4.80 | -0.19 |
| Vauxhall | 16,398 | 4.59 | 15,553 | 4.89 | 5.43 | 27,371 | 4.72 | 28,664 | 5.25 | -4.51 |
| Volkswagen | 31,562 | 8.84 | 22,147 | 6.97 | 42.51 | 53,156 | 9.16 | 41,331 | 7.58 | 28.61 |
| Volvo | 11,898 | 3.33 | 7,526 | 2.37 | 58.09 | 18,967 | 3.27 | 13,623 | 2.50 | 39.23 |
| Xpeng | 36 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 36 | 0.01 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Different British | 590 | 0.17 | 533 | 0.17 | 10.69 | 1,192 | 0.21 | 862 | 0.16 | 38.28 |
| Different Imports | 438 | 0.12 | 387 | 0.12 | 13.18 | 606 | 0.10 | 637 | 0.12 | -4.87 |
| Complete | 357,103 | 317,786 | 12.37 | 580,502 | 545,548 | 6.41 | ||||
1 March 2019: 458,054 new automobile registrations
2 Autotrader: Common low cost on BEVs, March 2025: 11.5%
3 From 1 April 2025, all new BEVs are topic to £10 VED within the first yr of possession, adopted by annual VED of £195, presently, in years 2-6 (£975), for a complete of £985. For BEVs greater than £40,000, a further £425 is presently charged yearly in years 2-6 (£2,125) on high of normal VED, to provide a complete of £3,110.
4 Based mostly on SMMT evaluation
5 SMMT information launch, Incentives wanted to transform electrical sceptics to EV advantages
SOURCE: SMMT
