- UK new car market grew 6.6% in March
- Battery electric vehicles were a big contributing factor
- The Jaecoo 7 becomes the best-selling car in the United Kingdom
March has historically been a busy month for new car registrations, as the arrival of a new number plate encourages customers to spend money on a new set of wheels.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK new car market grew by 6.6% in March, the best month in terms of overall registrations since 2019.
But while the sale of diesel and gasoline engine cars decreased by 6.1% and 11.4% respectively, pure battery electric vehicles saw a record increase of 24.2% during the month compared to the same period last year.
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While many industry experts acknowledge the fact that March is always busy with new car purchases, several believe that electric vehicles have proven particularly popular due to both changing attitudes toward technology and rising fuel costs.
“This is likely to be driving increased interest in electric vehicles as buyers look to protect themselves from fluctuations in fuel prices,” explains James Hosking, managing director of AA Cars.
Hosking also says cost of ownership is now “a priority for buyers in both new and used markets”, with motorists weighing running costs as carefully as overall price.
“We’re already seeing that reflected in our latest Used Car Index, with searches for electric vehicles increasing by more than a quarter in early March. The question now is whether that change continues if fuel prices remain unpredictable,” he added.
The list of best-selling models in March looks familiar, with the ever-popular Ford Puma and Nissan Qashqai still appearing in the top three, but the number one spot has now been captured by the Jaecoo 7, a relatively unknown entity last year.
That model sold about 10,064 units in March and currently occupies second place (just behind the Ford Puma) in the ranking of the best models of 2026.
According to the brand, the top-end plug-in hybrid variant accounted for 85% of all Jaecoo 7 sales last month.
Analysis: Chinese brands on a good streak
Along with Omoda and Jaecoo, which claim to have achieved a record start in the ’76’ registration plate, registering 17,951 vehicles in March, their Chinese rivals BYD also claimed to have also achieved record sales in the first quarter of 2026, registering 21,337 units.
BYD says the period represented a “record” month for the brand in the UK, with a 134% increase compared to the previous year and a UK market share of more than 3.98%.
While pure battery electric vehicles are not the only reason for Jaecoo and BYD’s sales success, the pair have stated that unpredictable prices at the pump are pushing buyers towards the more efficient hybrids and electrified powertrains they offer.
Hybrids certainly help ease the transition to electrification for the buyer, but they still do not meet the strict mandates that the UK government has put in place to encourage the switch to purely electric vehicles.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes warns that despite record levels of battery electric vehicle sales, the EV market is “moving further away from mandated levels despite record levels of incentives”.
Currently, BEV volumes increased by 24.2% to reach a record in March, but market share remains at only 22.6%, when the mandatory target for the year is 33%.
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