Sales of electric cars in Britain have surged by 34.6% in the first half of 2025, reaching 224,838 units, according to preliminary data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This increase comes after June witnessed the strongest car sales figures since 2019, up by 6.8% year-on-year to 191,200 units. In the same month, electric cars accounted for a quarter of all sales, translating to nearly 47,400 units.
The growth in electric car sales can be partly attributed to the release of the new version of Tesla’s Model Y in June, despite the controversy surrounding Tesla’s founder, Elon Musk, for his support of far-right politicians. Ford reported the fastest growth in electrical car sales in the UK, as stated by New AutoMotive, a thinktank.
However, the overall car industry in the UK has faced challenges, including a cost of living crisis exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of 25% tariffs by the US on UK car exports. These factors have contributed to a drop in car production to its lowest level for May since 1949. Fortunately, a recent trade deal between the UK and US has reduced the tariff rate to 10% for the first 100,000 vehicles exported to the US.
Despite these challenges, car sales have been rising throughout 2025, although this growth is believed to be influenced by unsustainable discounts, particularly on electric cars. These discounts are a result of government targets under the zero-emission vehicle mandate, which manufacturers are keen to meet.
So far this year, electric sales have accounted for 21.6% of all sales, falling short of the 28% target. However, the SMMT’s data suggests that these figures are still lower than the effective target due to certain “flexibilities” in the rules.
Dan Caesar, the chief executive of Electric Vehicles UK, expressed optimism regarding June’s figures and predicted continued growth for electric vehicle sales in the second half of the year. Additionally, New AutoMotive reported a significant increase in demand for electric vans, with sales rising by 50% in the first half of 2025, making up one in every 10 sales.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/04/uk-electric-car-sales-up-by-a-third-in-first-half-of-2025-preliminary-data-suggests
