Last month was the strongest July for new car sales in the UK since the Covid pandemic, as a significant rise in sales of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars drove growth. EV registrations rose by 44.5% compared with July 2025, to 43,106. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) attributed the rise in EV sales to the continued roll-out of the government’s Electric Car Grant and discounting. PHEV sales rose 33.6% year on year, to 23,359, while sales of conventional (or ‘self-charging’) hybrids rose 11.6%, to 20,711. This means that electrified cars – ie those capable of driving solely on electric power – now account for more than half of all new car sales in the UK.