UK new car sales rose by 24% year-over-year in April 2026, reaching 149,247 registrations, reflecting a rebound from a weak April 2025, when buyers advanced purchases to avoid tax hikes, including VED and the Expensive Car Supplement on BEVs. While April is typically a low-volume month, this was the strongest performance since 2019, with growth across all sectors: fleets (+26.8%), private retail (+20.2%), and business (+15.0%). Petrol car demand grew 8.2%, while diesel registrations dipped 1%. Electrified vehicles accounted for over half (53.2%) of the market for the second consecutive month. PHEV registrations surged 46.4% (13.8% market share), and HEVs rose 18.8% (13.2% share). April also marked a milestone with the two-millionth BEV registered (2,012,758), following a 59.1% year-on-year increase. BEVs captured a 26.2% share in April and 23.1% year-to-date, still below the 33% target set by the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, despite manufacturer discounts and the Electric Car Grant.