No, EVs haven't overtaken combustion cars in the UK - here's what the latest sales data actually shows

Battery EVs overtake petrol in UK sales - but combustion still leads overall

Battery EVs have overtaken petrol cars in UK sales for the first time, but the milestone doesn't mean electric vehicles have eclipsed all combustion-powered models just yet.

New data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) suggests that more electric vehicles have been sold over the past 12 months than petrol cars, marking it as the first time this monumental shift has been recorded. The milestone comes amid continued debate over the UK government's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, with several manufacturers arguing the sales targets remain unrealistic without stronger consumer demand.

However, the recent data shows that in the 12 months to May 2026, UK consumers bought 516,490 new BEVs, compared with only 504,010 new petrol cars, according to analysis by Carbon Brief. Similarly, data released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that registrations of petrol and diesel cars fell by -7.1% and -2.2% respectively, as electrified vehicles gained ground.

Why the "overtaking" claim is misleading

That said, the claims that electric vehicles are overtaking internal combustion cars are misleading, as while pure petrol-powered cars have now slipped behind battery electric vehicles in the sales charts, combustion-powered vehicles remain comfortably ahead once diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles are factored in.

That's because both conventional hybrids (HEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) still rely on an internal combustion engine. Although they're often grouped together under the umbrella term "electrified vehicles", neither is a fully electric car in the same sense as a battery-electric vehicle.

The latest Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures reflect this distinction, listing battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid electric vehicles as separate categories rather than combining them into a single EV total.

According to its latest figures, battery-electric vehicles accounted for almost one in four new car registrations over the past year, comfortably overtaking petrol-only models. However, when hybrid and plug-in hybrid registrations are added to petrol and diesel sales, combustion engines continue to dominate the market overall.

Analysis: this is still a big moment for EVs

We shouldn't downplay the significance of these figures, because they demonstrate a genuine shift away from conventional petrol-powered cars and towards electrified alternatives. In fact, the SMMT's data actually softens the decline of petrol engines, as it labels "mild" hybrids as petrol vehicles, the sales of which can obscure the true decline of pure fossil-fuel options, according to Arena EV.

But sales of these traditional hybrids, while still a significant figure, have actually tapered off in recent years, while sales of plug-in hybrids have risen by 24% year-on-year in May 2026, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association’s (ACEA) numbers. The SMMT data backs this fact, claiming plug-in hybrid deliveries grew 23.9% to take an enlarged 13.8% market share in May of this year.

Battery electric vehicle (BEV) uptake, meanwhile, increased 34.2% to take 27.3% of the market, the highest recorded so far in 2026.

The plug-in hybrid stepping stone

It is clear that there is a noticeable shift in consumer buying habits, with more opting for plug-in hybrid variants that arguably act as a stepping stone to pure battery EVs. Today's plug-in hybrids, such as the Omoda's Super Hybrid System, can manage impressive mileage on a single charge of their battery packs, with 60-90 miles now relatively commonplace.

In my personal experience, a large majority of motorists quickly realize that they rarely need much more than the range offered by the electric system in their plug-in hybrid, and if they can charge at home, this makes it easier to contemplate going full electric in the future.

The use of fossil fuel might not be completely dead just yet, but the figures indicate that it is quickly slipping out of fashion.