UK registrations rise rapidly as car parc age increases

05 May 2026

Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) reached a new milestone in the UK during April. But as petrol rebounded and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) rose, can the technology make its mark in an ageing car parc? Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry examines the data.

There were 149,247 registrations in April, according to the latest data from the SMMT. This was up by 24% compared with the same period last year. The result was buoyed by a rise in petrol deliveries, while electrified models continued their positive performance.

However, the increase in figures came after a low result in April 2025. A change in the UK’s vehicle excise duty (VED) saw many registrations pulled forward earlier. Therefore, an accurate year-on-year comparison is more difficult this month.

The SMMT has also revised its forecast for the year. Registrations are now expected to reach 2.09 million units, equating to a year-on-year increase of 3.6%. This was up from January’s 2.05-million-unit outlook. Further growth is expected in 2027, with the market forecast to reach 2.12 million units.

ICE inspires UK market

The UK’s internal-combustion engine (ICE) market has been struggling for some time. April did represent a stronger performance, but it was not enough to prevent it from slipping behind electrified powertrains.

Combined petrol and diesel deliveries saw growth of 7.3% in the month, driven by petrol. While diesel saw yet another decline, its volumes remained broadly stable year on year.

In contrast to other big European markets, the SMMT reports its mild-hybrid (MHEV) powertrain figures differently. Rather than mixing them in with full hybrids (HEVs), they are included with their respective petrol and diesel counterparts. This can make the UK figures appear distorted compared with other market trends.

Even with the MHEV numbers included, ICE registrations have seen steady decreases. However, 2026 seems to be altering this trend.

In April, petrol volumes increased by 8.2% to 63,541 units. The result equated to a 42.6% market share. However, with other powertrains increasing, this was down by 6.2 percentage points (pp). This was the second time in 2026 that petrol deliveries rose, as it held on to the leading market share.

Across the first four months of 2026, a total of 340,230 petrol models have been registered. This marked a decline of just 1.5% year on year. While the fuel type still leads the market by volume, its 44.5% share was down 4.8pp.

Diesel drops but remains stable

Diesel deliveries fell 1% in April. However, the 6,314-unit delivery total was only down by 67 units year on year. However, its 4.2% market share was down by 1.1pp.

Between January and April, diesel saw a decline of 8.4% to 36,827 registrations. Meanwhile, its 4.8% share of the market total was down 0.9pp.

Despite petrol’s positive performance and diesel remaining relatively stable, ICE was unable to remain the dominant powertrain grouping. Its 46.8% share in April was down 7.3pp. In the first four months of the year, a 2.2% volume decrease saw its share slip 5.7pp, to 49.3%.

Can EVs overcome concerns?

The first quarter of the year saw slightly slower BEV registrations. This was likely due to the pull-forward effect from last year. Compared to a slightly reduced performance in April 2025, deliveries increased 59.1% year on year. In total, 39,084 units left showrooms in April, giving the technology a 26.2% market share, up 5.8pp.

BEVs became subject to vehicle excise duty (VED) from April 2025. Buyers rushed to register their vehicles before then, creating a pull-forward effect. This means the market has been playing catch up in 2026.

Across the first four months of 2026, all-electric deliveries increased by 22.1%, to 176,698 units. So, BEVs held 23.1% of the UK new-car market, below the 33% zero-emission vehicle mandate target due by the year.

The SMMT’s 2026 BEV share forecast has been downgraded after the weaker first quarter. The powertrain is expected to account for 26.8% of the market, down from 28.5% estimated in January.

In 2027, BEVs are forecast to reach a 32% market share, 6pp below the mandated target of 38%. While BEVs celebrated two million cumulative registrations, the forecast distance from the 2026 and 2027 targets is a concern.

‘Other major international markets are revising their transition plans to reflect geopolitical and market realities. The UK similarly needs an urgent review of the transition to avoid being put in an uncompetitive position, undermining consumer choice, investment and growth,’ the SMMT highlighted.

PHEVs prove popular in the UK

PHEVs continued their strong performance with a 46.4% registration increase in April. In total, 20,597 new units made it to UK roads. This marked the first time since August 2025 that the powertrain recorded a higher volume than HEVs.

The PHEV sector has been growing in strength this year. In all, the technology commanded 13.8% of April’s overall figures, up 2.1pp. Four months into the year, PHEVs saw growth of 46.5%, the best-performing powertrain in terms of volume increase. With 99,263 units, it held 13% of the market, up 3.3pp.

This result meant that the electric vehicle (EV) market saw a 54.5% year-on-year rise in April, taking a 40% market share. This was a jump of 7.9pp compared to the same point last year. Between January and April, EV registrations increased by 29.9%, with a 36.1% market share, up 5.8pp.

HEV slowdown continues

In total, 19,711 HEVs were registered last month, an 18.8% improvement. This allowed a 13.2% market share, but with better BEV and PHEV performances, this was 0.6pp lower than April 2025.

The HEV market has been a slow burner so far in 2026, with cumulative figures up 8.3% year on year. As 111,083 units joined the roads, the technology held a 14.5% share of the UK total, down 0.1pp.

Combining HEVs with EVs, the electrified market was ahead of ICE for the second successive month. With 79,392 registrations, the grouping was up 43.8%, taking a 53.2% hold in April. This also helped the technology jump ahead after four months of the year. Its 387,044 deliveries were up by 22.8%. This provided a slim lead with a 50.7% share, following a dead split across the first quarter.

With ICE deliveries experiencing a rollercoaster 2026, it is not clear how quickly electrified registrations could pull ahead. But as the market experiences more growth, April may well be the tipping point for ICE.

UK car parc ages again

The SMMT recently released its overview of the UK car parc, providing insight into the roads in 2025. In total, 36,676,185 cars were in use in the UK last year, a rise of 1.4%.

Petrol cars remained the most dominant, with a 57.7% share of the market. This was down by 0.5pp compared with 2024, according to Autovista24 analysis. Meanwhile, diesel still held 30.1% of the UK total parc, a drop of 2pp year on year.

Electrified models continued to see increases, although they made up a small percentage of overall cars in use. BEVs took a 4.9% share, up by 1.2pp year on year. HEVs took 4.7% of the parc, a rise of 0.7pp, while PHEVs took a 2.6% share, up by 0.6pp.

The UK’s car parc is also getting progressively older, as drivers hold on to their vehicles for longer. The average age for a passenger car in the country rose to 9.7 years in 2025.

This is thanks in part to an increase in the number of cars that are over 12 years old. Last year, 33.1% of the parc made this threshold, a rise of 1.4pp year on year.

The number of 3-6-year-old cars reached 13%, a decline of 2pp, while those aged 7-9 years made up 18.6% of the parc, a drop of 1.2pp. Cars between 10-12 years made up 19.3%, a rise of 0.8pp.