EVs Take 35.5% Share Of The UK – BYD Atto 2 Launches

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September noticed plugin EVs take 35.5% share of the UK auto market, up from 29.4% year-on-year. BEVs grew in quantity by 29% YoY, whereas PHEVs grew 56%. Total auto quantity was 312,891 models, up some 14% YoY. Tesla was the UK’s main BEV model for the month.

September’s gross sales totals noticed mixed plugin EVs take 35.5% share of the UK auto market, with full electrics (BEVs) taking 23.3%, and plugin hybrids (PHEVs) taking 12.2%. These examine with YoY shares of 29.4% mixed, 20.5% BEV, and eight.9% PHEV.

The reintroduction of BEV buy incentives, though bungled, could now be giving a lift to BEV gross sales at lower cost factors throughout the worth cap. Because the July introduction was messy, there was appreciable hold-back of purchases, so we could also be seeing a concomitant rebound now. If that’s the case, the market will take a pair extra months to settle.

There’s a increased “Band 1” incentive (£3,750) which solely the Ford Puma and Ford E-Torneo are eligible for. Different fashions get the decrease “Band 2” quantity of £1,500. These embrace a number of Stellantis automobiles, some Renaults, some VW Group MEB automobiles, and a few Japanese fashions. You’ll be able to test the total listing right here.

However what’s the worth cap for eligibility? Initially, the UK authorities stated that the value cap was £37,000. However – presumably after strain from some producers (e.g. Toyota) – they elevated the cap to £42,000 in August. Not by coincidence, the elevated cap now accommodates the Toyota BZ4X (UK beginning worth £41,595). Recall that UK taxes classify automobiles over £40,000 as topic to the “luxurious tax”… so how does this elevating of the inducement cap to £42,000 make any sense ?

Provided that we all know that compelling BEVs could be made for nicely beneath £25,000, maybe that needs to be the cap – to encourage extra competitors on the reasonably priced finish of the market (which might additionally pull down costs within the above segments). The grant may very well be a modest £1,000 at costs <£25,000 and enhance by £200 for every £1000 decrease MSRP. Thus an incentive of £2,000 at <£20,000, and £3,000 for MSRPs beneath £15,000.

This sounds rational and would help the mass-market segments, however on this planet of UK politics, the place companies, the monetary class, politicians, and the remainder of the ruling class schmooze collectively, this isn’t going to occur. The precise authorities scheme isn’t designed primarily to assist struggling shoppers, it’s designed primarily to assist shield the short-term earnings of rent-seeking legacy auto makers and their shareholders.

Greatest-Promoting Manufacturers

With their ordinary end-of-quarter push, Tesla led the BEV manufacturers in September with 10.9% market share. Ford got here second with 9.1%, and BYD got here in third with 7.5%.

Ford has stepped up its sport in 2025, taking the second spot just a few occasions, sometimes behind Volkswagen (when Tesla was having its quiet months). That is the primary time Ford has overtaken Volkswagen, albeit to come back second in a Tesla-heavy month. Let’s see whether or not Ford may take the highest spot in October or November.

Likewise, BYD has stepped up this yr, usually within the prime 10, and taking a file third place in September. This success is helped by BYD’s big range of segments and worth factors, with 6 distinct fashions, from the Dolphin Surf on the reasonably priced finish, by to the Sealion within the D/E section.

The Sealion was inside the highest 10 best-selling fashions in September, with over 1,800 models. I don’t have clear information for the Dolphin Surf, however it might have offered roughly 500 models.

BYD additionally debuted a brand new mannequin in September, the BYD Atto 2, a B/C section SUV (4,310 mm size). The Atto 2 registered 211 preliminary models, an honest begin. It comes with both a forty five.1 kWh or 58 kWh (usable) LFP battery choice, with WLTP vary of 214 miles and 267 miles respectively. 10-80% charging takes simply 25 minutes on the bigger battery model, and 37 minutes on the smaller battery. Value begins from £30,850 for the smaller battery, and £34,950 for the bigger battery.

One other debutant was the Suzuki Vitara, which noticed 18 preliminary registrations. The unique Vitara has been round for many years as a great worth and dependable compact SUV with AWD, and now is available in a BEV model (with a really related dimension to the Atto 2, above).

Sadly, not solely is Suzuki late to the EV transition, however the Vitara is in truth a rebadged clone of the Toyota City Cruiser (which is about to launch within the subsequent couple of months). On the plus aspect, the pricing begins at £29,999 for the 47.8 kWh (usable) entry model (214 miles WLTP), and £32,999 for the 59.8 kWh (265 miles WLTP). Costlier variants with AWD are additionally accessible. Charging speeds are sluggish (45+ minutes), so this isn’t one of the best car for frequent road-trippers.

The final debutant in September was the Mercedes CLA sedan, which noticed a formidable 770 registrations proper out of the gate. I’ve coated the CLA elsewhere, it’s principally a Tesla Mannequin 3 competitor with barely increased pricing and far sooner charging. It ought to show common within the UK market.

Of the not too long ago launched BEV fashions, the Ford Puma is doing nicely, with over 2,300 models in September, doubtless within the prime 3 best-selling fashions (our information supply, the UK DVLA isn’t fairly exact/full sufficient to know the precise gross sales numbers). The brand new MG IM5 and IM6 siblings scored round 130 and 150 models respectively. The marginally older MG S5 can also be doing nicely, with over 1,200 gross sales in September, nearly double its earlier greatest (July).

The XPeng G6 had its greatest ever month, with over 270 models. Lastly, the brand new Vauxhall Frontera, which simply launched in August, is already doing very nicely, with round 500 models in September (and vying with the Peugeot 208 to be Stellantis’ prime vendor within the UK).

Turning to the small-and-affordable segments – the Dacia Spring is doing nice, with ~830 models offered in September. It may be discovered from as little as £12,000 (supplier gives), making it the UK’s most reasonably priced automobile (of any powertrain). The truth is, solely the Leapmotor T03 comes shut (gives from £13,989), as the most affordable ICE automobiles price from £15,000 and above. In fact, the T03 can also be a preferred BEV, promoting round 310 models in September. In brief – entry BEVs at the moment are capable of undercut entry ICE automobiles (Kia Picanto, Dacia Sandero, MG3, Seat Arona) of their “avenue” pricing.

Apparently, the Dacia Spring, which went on sale in October 2024, can also be retaining its worth fairly nicely. Essentially the most reasonably priced second-hand Spring within the UK is at present round £9,900 (3 or 4 examples at this worth level). House owners clearly love them and are protecting maintain of them, limiting provide. We regularly hear the narrative that BEVs have excessive depreciation, however this solely happens with BEV that are overpriced to start with. BEVs that are priced sensibly from the outset, retain their worth very nicely – on account of providing doubtlessly a long time of dependable and low running-cost private transport. This isn’t one thing ICE automobiles are capable of supply, on account of gas costs and mechanical points with age.

A fast September rating of the small-and-affordable BEVs exhibits the Renault 5 within the lead (~870 models), adopted by the Dacia Spring (~830 models), Hyundai Inster (~700 models), doubtless then the BYD Dolphin Surf (round 500 models, however the DVLA information is obscure), the Citroen e-C3 (~400 models), and the Leamotor T03 (310 models). The brand new Renault 4, which has solely not too long ago appeared within the UK, noticed over 80 models in September and can continue to grow.

Let’s flip to the 3-month chart:

Tesla is main, with 9.8% share of the UK BEV market, and Ford is now in second with 8.7%, solidly forward of Volkswagen (7.8%). That is the primary time that Ford has overtaken VW within the 3-month chart, and it climbed up from 4th in Q2. That is largely because of the massive reputation of the brand new Puma BEV, and partly as a result of VW have been slacking up not too long ago.

Additional again, BYD has climbed to 4th, from eighth in Q2, and Mercedes climbed to seventh, from thirteenth in Q2. In the meantime BMW and Skoda dropped barely, although inside regular variation.

BMW shall be hoping that their upcoming neue klasse platform will enhance them again near the highest within the UK, and I count on these fashions will certainly be comparatively common.

Outlook

The ZEV mandate is working, and the grants are serving to considerably (although primarily serving to the earnings of legacy auto).

The UK macroeconomy stays unremarkable with headline figures of 1.2% YoY GDP development, as of the newest Q2 information. The actual financial system that many individuals expertise everyday is more durable than these figures counsel. Headline inflation has remained flat at 3.8% since July. BOE rates of interest have remained at 4.0% since early August to 4.0%. Manufacturing PMI dropped to 46.2 factors in September, from 47 factors in August.

What are you anticipating from the transition within the UK for the remainder of this yr? Which fashions or manufacturers will climb within the months forward? Please share your ideas and views within the feedback under.