New Car Registrations DOWN again in February – but EV sales UP by 41.7%

New car registrations in the UK in February 2025 fell by 1.0%, but sales of BEVs rose by 41.7% for a 25.3% market share.

February is the least popular month to buy a new car in the UK (it accounts for just 4% of annual registrations), and numbers for this February fell to 84,054 (a fall of just 1.0%), but that’s not bad considering new car registrations in February 2024 were the best February numbers since 2004.

In a turnaround, registrations by Fleets actually fell by 4.0% to 52,541 and a market share of 62.5%, although that was pretty much offset by Private sales rising by 4.6% to 29,947 for a 35.6% market share.

Sales of electrifeid cars (BEV, PHEV and HEV) continue to grow, with BEV numbers rising by 41.7% to 21,244 and a market share of 25.3%, PHEV numbers rising by 19.3% to 7,273 for an 8.7% market share and HEV numbers up by 7.9% to 11,431 for a 13.0% market share.

 Inevitably, ICE sales continue to fall with petrol numbers down by 17.3% to 39,855 and diesel sales down by 15.1% to 4,241, meaning a combined market shar for pure ICE cars of 52.4%.

Clearly the big jump in EV registrations is good news for the EV lobby, although the figures are still driven by huge manufacturer discounts and now by buyers jumping in to an EV ahead of the ECS charge which comes in for EVs in April. Expect more of the same in March.

Mike Hawes, SMMT CEO, said:

Although February’s figures show a subdued overall market, the good news is that electric car uptake is increasing, albeit at huge cost to manufacturers in terms of market support. It is always dangerous, however, to draw conclusions from a single month, especially one as small and volatile as February. With the all-important March number plate change now upon us, and tax changes taking effect in April that will, perversely, dissuade EV purchases.