New registrations of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in the United Kingdom posted their weakest monthly growth in nearly two years in November, even as electric cars continued to gain share of the overall new car market, industry data showed.
A total of 39,965 new BEVs were registered in November, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.6%, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). BEVs accounted for 26.4% of all new car sales, up 1.5 percentage points from the same month a year earlier.
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Electrified vehicles as a whole — including plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) — made up 51.4% of all new registrations, meaning petrol and diesel models remained in the minority for a third consecutive month. However, the broader UK car market showed signs of weakness, with total new registrations falling 1.6% to 151,154 vehicles, marking the sixth consecutive monthly decline.
The slowdown in BEV growth comes ahead of the government’s Autumn Budget, unveiled late in November by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, which introduced a new levy on electric vehicle use equivalent to a 3 pence-per-mile charge, aligning EVs more closely with internal combustion engine vehicles that pay fuel duty. Industry analysts cautioned, however, that the November sales data pre-dated the Budget announcement.
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Private buyer demand fell 5.5% in November, according to the SMMT, while fleet registrations rose 0.2% and business purchases increased 18%, continuing to underpin much of the market’s electrification momentum.
SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said the data highlighted both progress and vulnerability in the EV transition. “Even in a fragile market, zero emission vehicle uptake continues to rise, which is exactly what we need. But the weakest growth for almost two years – ahead of government announcing a new tax on EVs – should be seen as a wake-up call that sustained increase in demand for EVs cannot be taken for granted,” he said.
