Electric car demand slows as Government grant fails to woo buyers

Demand for electric cars slowed to its weakest level of growth in almost two years ahead of the recent Autumn Budget, which unveiled future plans for huge taxes on drivers of zero-emissions vehicles.

According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), roughly one in four (26 per cent) of new car registrations in November were EVs. This corresponds to just shy of 40,000 new electric vehicles hitting the road but represents a marginal 3.6 per cent uplift from a 25 per cent market share in November 2024.

To put this in perspective, September 2025 saw a more than 30 per cent increase in electric car market share, equating to the largest number of new EVs ever being registered in a single month. Market share for electric cars currently sits at 22.7 per cent for the year-to-date, markedly behind the 28 per cent quota set by the government’s ZEV Mandate.

Not a single pure electric car made it into the top 10 sellers in November – granted, the Ford Puma, which is available in zero-emissions ‘Gen-E’ guise as well as the dominant petrol powertrain, did maintain its status as the best-selling model. Although, neither the electric-only Tesla Model Y, nor the Renault 5 made it onto the list, despite shifting in similar numbers to the best-selling internal combustion models in previous months.

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Regardless, such a lacklustre performance is surprising given the Government’s recent introduction of the Electric Car Grant, which offers up to £3,750 off the price of a new EV. But with so few models qualifying for the full amount, not to mention the rampant speculation and eventual confirmation of an electric car pay-per-mile tax over the last few months, it appears many potential EV buyers may have been put off from making the switch.

Chief executive of chargepoint operator Pod, Melanie Lane, described how “a growth slowdown in November proves that now is the wrong time to introduce taxes on EV drivers and that further cost pressures for manufacturers and fleet managers will keep the sector from achieving a 28 per cent market share target set by [the] ZEV mandate.”

In 2026, the quota for electric car sales will rise even further to 33 per cent, meaning a lot will need to change in order to reinvigorate demand. Chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Mike Hawes, called for more action: “The Electric Car Grant will help to break down one of the barriers holding back more drivers from making the switch – and tackling remaining roadblocks, by unlocking infrastructure investment and driving down energy costs, will be crucial to the success of the industry and the environmental goals we share.”

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