UK EV share hits 32% in October as electric nears petrol

· Automotive & EV · United Kingdom

Battery-electric cars took 32% of the UK's new car market in October while petrol cars fell to 37.2%, according to SMMT data, the closest the two have come. The overall UK market rose 5.4% year on year as competition stayed intense. At the current pace, electric cars would outsell petrol in the UK within a year, and it could happen as soon as this December. The figures put the UK alongside the fastest-moving European markets in the shift away from petrol, with the gap between the two powertrains now a few percentage points.

Why it matters：The UK passing petrol would mark a symbolic threshold for Europe's EV transition and gives automakers a concrete timeline for adjusting model mixes and marketing.

Key points

  • BEVs reached 32% share; petrol fell to 37.2% in October.
  • The overall UK new car market grew 5.4% year on year.
  • Electric could outsell petrol as early as December at current pace.

Sources (original reporting)

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