British electrical automotive gross sales rose by a 3rd within the first half of 2025 after the strongest June for total automotive gross sales since earlier than the Covid pandemic.
The variety of battery electrical automotive gross sales rose 34.6% to 224,838 items within the first six months of the 12 months, in accordance with preliminary information from the Society of Motor Producers and Merchants (SMMT), a foyer group.
New automotive gross sales rose 6.8% year-on-year in June to 191,200 items, the very best gross sales figures for the month since 2019. 1 / 4 of all June gross sales, or almost 47,400, had been electrical.
Separate gross sales figures revealed by the thinktank New AutoMotive, recommended electrical gross sales had been buoyed in June in contrast with Might by the launch of the brand new model of the Mannequin Y from Tesla, which has remained the most important electrical automotive vendor within the UK regardless of the controversy across the help for far-right politicians of its founder, Elon Musk. Ford achieved the quickest development in UK electrical automotive gross sales, New AutoMotive mentioned.
The UK automotive trade has struggled to extend gross sales to pre-pandemic ranges as potential consumers have been hit by the price of dwelling disaster after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
British automotive factories have additionally needed to deal with a significant slowdown in response to further US tariffs of 25% introduced by Donald Trump in March. UK automotive manufacturing final month fell to its lowest degree for Might since 1949 as producers reduce shipments.
These factories obtained respite on Monday when a decrease tariff fee of 10% kicked in after a restricted commerce deal was agreed between the UK and US. The ten% fee will apply to the primary 100,000 automobiles exported to the US.
Regardless of these difficulties, automotive gross sales have been rising over the course of 2025, though the trade has mentioned the numbers have been flattered by reductions which it says are unsustainable. Reductions have been focused notably at electrical automotive consumers as producers attempt to meet targets set underneath the federal government’s zero-emission automobile mandate.
Thus far in 2025 electrical gross sales have made up 21.6% of all gross sales, the SMMT’s preliminary information recommended. That’s beneath the 28% goal, though “flexibilities” within the guidelines imply the efficient goal is considerably decrease.
Dan Caesar, the chief govt of Electrical Automobiles UK, a gaggle lobbying for pro-electric automobile insurance policies, mentioned the June figures had been nonetheless encouraging.
“The robustness of battery EV gross sales as a proportion of the market demonstrates we’re in a brand new part of uptake,” he mentioned. “Savvy shoppers see the development, and the financial savings. Higher and cheaper BEVs, along with real competitors, ought to see gross sales within the second half proceed to develop.”
New AutoMotive’s information additionally recommended that demand for electrical vans had risen sharply. Electrical van gross sales elevated by 50% within the first half of 2025 in contrast with final 12 months to account for one in each 10 gross sales.
