UK EV sales September 2026 record; six in ten drivers sway others

Six in ten electric car drivers say they have persuaded someone else to switch to an EV, according to a survey by the charging company Instavolt, reported by The Independent. The finding follows the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) report of a UK EV sales September 2026 record of 99,201 battery electric cars.

It adds a consumer view to the registration figures. Hyundai has also opened UK orders for its compact Ioniq 3, with every version eligible for the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant, while the market remains short of the government’s mandate for 2026.

Six in ten EV drivers say they have persuaded someone to switch

The Independent reported that 60% of electric car drivers in the Instavolt survey said they had persuaded someone else to go electric, often through something as simple as a lift or a chat about running costs. Among those who said they had influenced someone, more than a quarter had persuaded a family member, while friends and colleagues were cited by 17% and 15% respectively. Drivers described everyday conversations and letting a sceptical relative try the car, rather than any formal campaign or incentive.

Money did most of the talking when drivers made their case, according to the survey results as reported.

Trevor Heley, a 72-year-old retired IT director from Farnham in Surrey, told The Independent: “I have also recommended EVs to quite a few people and know that some have already bought one.” He moved from a Kia Niro plug-in hybrid to a Kia eNiro and now drives a Renault Megane E-Tech Electric. His wife is on her fifth EV, a Renault 5.

Some caution is needed. The survey was run by a charging company, the answers are self-reported, and the report as published does not say how many drivers were questioned. Persuading someone is also not the same as a registration, so the survey does not show how much of September’s record it explains.

A record 99,201 electric car registrations in a plate-change month

The SMMT said the overall new car market grew 12.0% to 350,536 units, the tenth consecutive month of growth and the strongest September since 2017. It described the plate-change month as typically accounting for around one in seven annual registrations. Battery electric demand climbed 36.3%, which the trade body said equates to almost five new battery electric cars every minute.

The SMMT said the battery electric share rose five percentage points, which implies about 23.3% a year earlier. Plug-in hybrids and battery electric cars both reached record volumes. The figures update preliminary numbers the trade body published on 2 October.

What is behind the best-selling month for electric cars

The SMMT pointed to model choice, manufacturer discounts and the government’s Electric Car Grant. It said 178 battery electric models are now on sale, more than double the number in 2023. Mike Hawes, the SMMT’s chief executive, said: “September’s record EV performance is a major achievement.” He added that high fuel prices were also giving more consumers reason to consider going electric.

The trade body also stressed the gap to the mandate, which the government set out in September 2023 as a rising annual share of zero emission sales, reaching 80% of new cars by 2030 and 100% by 2035. Some 454,947 battery electric cars have been registered in the first nine months of 2026, a 26.2% share, against the 33% mandated for this year. Using the SMMT’s July outlook for a 2.183-million-unit market, hitting 33% would need a further 265,000 or so in the final quarter.

That is about 88,000 a month, against an average of roughly 50,500 a month so far this year (our calculation). September’s total was higher than the required pace, but the plate-change month is unusually strong. Word of mouth on running costs may help at the margin, though the SMMT’s own explanation leans on price: discounts, new entrants and the grant.

Hyundai Ioniq 3 UK launch puts the £3,750 grant on a sub-£20,000 car

Hyundai said every Ioniq 3 qualifies for Band 1 of the Electric Car Grant, the full £3,750. The grant-inclusive price starts at £18,495 on the road for the Advance 42kWh, which the company lists at £22,245 before the grant. That is a cut of about 17% (our calculation). Hyundai said the Ioniq 3 joins the Kona Electric in being eligible for the full grant.

For buyers who finance, Hyundai quotes £355 a month for the Advance 61kWh, with a £355 deposit over 48 months at 8.9% APR representative. This is a representative example only; actual cost will depend on your circumstances and any additional charges or fees. Customers who reserved earlier receive the £3,750 grant instead of the £1,500 reservation saving, which is £2,250 more. Hyundai said cars are arriving in its retailers this month and that more customers registered interest before launch than for any new Hyundai it has introduced in the UK.

Your questions answered

Do EV drivers really persuade others to switch?

In the Instavolt survey reported by The Independent, 60% of EV drivers said they had. Family members were the most commonly persuaded group, followed by friends and colleagues. Because the answers are self-reported and the sample size was not given in the report, treat it as an indication of sentiment rather than a measure of sales.

What is the most sold EV car in the UK?

The SMMT release behind this story does not rank individual models, so we cannot name one. Yahoo Finance, citing Business Matters, reported that the best-selling vehicle of any fuel type in September was the Jaecoo 7, followed by the Tesla Model 3 and the Ford Puma. That is an all-fuel ranking, not an EV one, so look at model-level registration tables once they are published.

What is the waiting time for a new Hyundai Ioniq 5 in the UK?

None of our sources give a waiting time for the Ioniq 5. Hyundai’s announcement covers the Ioniq 3 only, and says cars are arriving in retailers this month. For the Ioniq 5, contact a Hyundai retailer for a current delivery date.