New car registrations in the UK rose 12.1% from the previous year to 350,518 units in September of 2026, its highest level since March although slowing from a 13.7% rise in the earlier month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It was a tenth consecutive period of growth, extending the market's recovery toward pre-pandemic levels. Battery electric vehicles rose by 36.3% to a record of 99,199 units to reach 28.3% of market share, as buyers respond to greater model choice, manufacturer incentives and government grants. Plug-in hybrid vehicle registrations also climbed 55.7% to 59,563 units. These were enough to offset the 2.5% decline in petrol vehicles to 141,287 and a 4.2% drop in hybrid electric vehicles to 45,838.