According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), new car registrations in the UK reached 149,247 units in April 2026, up 24.0% year-on-year. Against the backdrop of overall market recovery, electrification remained the primary growth driver. Battery electric vehicles accounted for 26.2% of registrations, up nearly 6 percentage points from a year earlier, while plug-in hybrid vehicles reached 13.8%, an increase of 2.1 percentage points year-on-year. UK vehicle registration across varying powertrains for April and year-to-date for 2026 and 2025 On a cumulative basis, by the end of April, total battery electric vehicle registrations in the UK exceeded 2 million units for the first time, marking a key milestone with a year-on-year increase of 59.1%. SMMT data showed that 12 Chinese brands entered the UK new car registration rankings in April, with total registrations reaching 24,669 units, representing a market share of 16.5%. Among them, SAIC Motor’s MG brand remained the most stable contributor. It led Chinese brands in April with 7,005 registrations, up 85% year-on-year. From January to April, MG recorded cumulative registrations of 30,883 units, accounting for 4.04% of the UK market. YTD best-selling car ranking in UK The MG HS ranked eighth among best-selling models with 11,293 units, maintaining strong competitiveness in the mainstream segment. BYD delivered faster growth, with April registrations reaching 5,059 units, up 101.5% year-on-year, representing a 2.09% market share. Cumulative registrations from January to April totaled 26,396 units, up 124% year-on-year. Notably, BYD sold 12,754 battery electric vehicles in the UK year-to-date, becoming the best-selling EV brand in the market with a share exceeding 7%. The Chery group expanded through a multi-brand strategy. In April, Chery, Omoda, and Jaecoo recorded registrations of 2,900, 3,275, and 3,877 units, respectively. New car registrations in the UK by marque for April 2026 and 2025 Among them, the JAECOO 7 reached cumulative sales of 17,668 units year-to-date, ranking third among best-selling models, behind the Ford Puma and Kia Sportage. At the same time, other Chinese brands are accelerating their presence in the UK. Year-to-date registrations stood at 3,244 units for Geely, 3,676 units for Leapmotor, 441 units for XPeng, and 969 units for Changan Automobile.
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