New registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in May accounted for 21.9% of the total market, New Automotive figures show.
The independent transport research organisation has published data showing that BEV registrations in May 2025 were 28% higher than May 2024, and year-to-date registrations have increased 29% on last year.
The first five months of 2025 have seen a total 175,165 BEVs registered, bringing the running market share of BEVs to 21%.
New Automotive highlighted that the electric van sector has demonstrated “especially strong” growth, with year-to-date registrations of battery-engine vans up by 41%, reaching 9,776 units and a market share of 7.9%.
Meanwhile, sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are continuing a downward trend. In May, petrol car sales fell 23.6% and diesel sales dropped by 1.9% compared to figures from May 2024.
Ben Nelmes, New Automotive CEO, said the figures are “a clear indicator” that the shift to EV is “not just on track, but accelerating”.
He said this shows the zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate is working. Founder of Octopus Electric Vehicles Fiona Howarth added that there has been a “clear shift” in the market, as automakers offer new, cheaper electric models to improve consumer choice.
As legislative action is shown to be a driver of uptake in the UK, the US EV market is at risk as the reconciliation bill threatens to remove tax credits for EV purchases, while upping the tax EV drivers have to pay.
While Tesla may retain its market dominance stateside, in the UK, New Automotive recorded a 10% drop in Tesla sales year-to-date. Volkswagen seems likely to overtake Tesla for UK EV sales during this year, after posting a 201% year-on-year increase in BEV registrations this month. VW, Tesla and BMW each currently hold an 8% EV market share.
Impact on EV charging
Commenting on New Automotive’s figures, chief commercial officer of InstaVolt, the largest independent chargepoint operator (CPO) in the UK, Simon Smith said: “The UK is role model for how private businesses can roll out a world class charging infrastructure. What’s important now is to continue to deliver what customers want, and make the experience easier than ever to tap, charge and go.”
The rollout of home EV charging is continuing at pace, and the government last week announced it had cut red tape for homeowners and businesses looking to install a charger.
However, with a large proportion of Britain’s residents living in cities without access to offstreet parking, the public charging network remains a key element of the shift.
John Lewis, CEO of CPO char.gy, said that to keep pace with EV sales, “CPOs must be just as ambitious. Imagine the numbers if everyone had access to affordable, convenient charging.”
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