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The two-millionth EV is registered as sales grow 59.1% compared with last year

ended 07. May 2026

Marking a market milestone, April saw the two millionth battery electric car (BEV) registered (2,012,758), following bumper growth of 59.1% compared with last year, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 

As a result, BEV uptake reached a robust 26.2% share of registrations in the month – an impressive performance albeit in a typically low volume month. 

Year to date, BEVs comprise 23.1% of the overall new car market, significantly short of the 33% required by the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, despite billions in manufacturer discounts and the introduction of the Electric Car Grant last year.

  • How important is 2 million milestone?
  • Do you own an EV, how much better are they? Would you recommend to others?
  • Why are the number of EVs being sold still so far from targets?

Responses by this afternoon.

1 responses from the Newspage community

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Rohit Parmar-Mistry
Founder at Pattrn Data
Two million EVs is a real milestone, but it should not be confused with the job being done. The market is growing quickly, yet the gap between registrations and the ZEV mandate shows how fragile the transition still is.

The issue is not just whether people like EVs. It is whether price, charging access, second-hand confidence and everyday convenience line up for normal households. Discounts can pull demand forward, but they do not solve the practical doubts that stop many drivers making the switch.

The next phase needs less victory-lap language and more delivery. If EVs are to move from early majority to default choice, buyers need confidence that ownership is simple, affordable and supported beyond the showroom. Targets alone will not create that trust. For this brief, the useful answer is evidence people can check, limits they understand, and a clear route to challenge a poor outcome.