Nevertheless, these latest figures appear grim when compared to the same period last year. In February 2025 there were fewer registrations overall, but EV sales had jumped by more than 40 per cent compared with 2024, bringing market share to over 25 per cent. In light of this, growth in the appetite for electric cars in the UK plateaued significantly last month.
Registrations of new Tesla models, for example, dipped by 37 per cent in February compared with last year, although the firm insists that this does not reflect recent orders, which it claims “far exceed their respective months in 2025 and 2024”.
The SMMT also points towards March being a ‘pivotal’ month, referencing the wait for the new 76-plate and the support of the government’s Electric Car Grant.
Just as optimistic despite the disappointing figures is Ben Nelmes, the CEO of transport research firm New AutoMotive. “It is fantastic to see one in four motorists opting for an electric car in February,” he said. “As we enter yet another fossil fuel price crisis, every electric vehicle is yet another step on the road to energy independence.”
While EV sales slowed, the real winners in February were plug-in hybrids, which saw a huge increase of 43.5 per cent compared with last year, growing their market share from 8.7 per cent to 11.6 per cent. Hybrid registrations grew by 3.3 per cent to a 13.1 per cent market share, and petrol sales also made a healthy 5.2 per cent jump last month with over 41,000 new registrations. Diesel continued its decline, losing 3.8 per cent year on year and dropping from five per cent market share to 4.5 per cent.
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