Major milestone reached in transition away from petrol and diesel, reports New AutoMotive.
There are now more than 2m battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on our roads, according to the latest Electric Car Count monthly report from New AutoMotive. In fact, BEVs comprised 26% of all new registrations in April 2026.
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New registrations of BEVs are up 55.6% compared to April 2025. Overall registrations of new vehicles have risen by 22.4%. That means BEVs are gaining market share and offsetting the decline in new registrations of petrol and diesel-fuelled vehicles.
It may be that new registrations in April were affected by the ongoing conflict in Iran, and its impact on the availability and cost of fuel. But this is also part of a longer-term trend, as more and more of us transition to electric.
The report acknowledges that April 2025 saw relatively few new registrations, which may have amplified the figures for growth this year. Even so, the market is still clearly moving in the direction of BEVs.
BEVs account for 23% of all new registrations in the first four months of 2026, an 18% increase since the same period last year.
The government wants to ensure that 33% of all vehicles sold this year are zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), so there’s still some way to go. But the Electric Car Count report says that measures such as firms earning credits for exceeding their targets in reducing CO2 emissions means the ‘real’ target for the year is more like 24.7% – so the sector is not far off at all.
Of course, we’re likely to see a significant rise in these numbers over coming months and year. The clock is now ticking for fossil fuels, as no new petrol or diesel cars will be sold after 2030, and all new cars and vans will need to be 100% zero emission by 2035.
The report also reveals that no single manufacturer leads the market, with market share tightly spread. The top 10 manufacturers account for some 60% of the market, ranging from 7.1% for BYD to 4.7% for Mercedez-Benz. That’s not a huge difference at all.
You can read the full Electric Car Count report for April 2026.
Ben Nelmes, CEO at New AutoMotive, says: ‘It’s no wonder there are 2m electric cars on our roads – they are cheaper than petrol and there’s never been more choice. April’s surge in EV demand proves that the ZEV mandate is working. We are seeing a massive decoupling: the car market is growing, yet petrol and diesel sales are shrinking.
‘For car manufacturers, the lesson is clear: if you aren’t building electric, you’re building history.’
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