Britain's electric vehicle market grew rapidly in September after posting record sales for the month. Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) share rose above 28 percent, narrowing the gap with petrol cars to single digits.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said September BEV registrations rose 36.3 percent from a year earlier to 99,201. Market share was 28.3 percent, close to petrol cars at 37.6 percent. Total new car registrations rose 12 percent to 350,536, extending a run of gains to 10 straight months.

A wider range of choices, automaker discounts, government subsidies and high fuel costs helped drive the increase in electric vehicle sales. The number of BEV models on sale in Britain has more than doubled since 2023 to 178. Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) number more than 110 models and hybrids (HEV) total 50, meaning more than three-quarters of all new car models are electrified vehicles.

PHEV registrations in September also rose 55.5 percent from a year earlier, taking market share to 17 percent. HEV slipped 4.3 percent to 13.1 percent. Electrified vehicles, combining BEV, PHEV and HEV, accounted for 58.4 percent.

Gains by Chinese brands also stood out. Chinese brands such as BYD, Jaecoo, Chery, Omoda, Changan and Geely accounted for about 20 percent of new car registrations in Britain in September. BYD sold 20,140 vehicles over the month to rank second by brand behind Volkswagen. Across all models, the Chinese-owned Jaecoo 7 ranked first with 10,814 registrations, while the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y placed second and fifth, respectively.

Still, BEV market share in January to September was 26.2 percent, below the 33 percent target for 2026 under the zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate. The 2027 target rises to 38 percent. SMMT said, "Despite the expansion in electric vehicle sales, high energy costs and regulatory targets are weighing on the industry."