New car registrations in the UK rose 13.7% from the previous year to 94,236 units in August of 2026, picking up from the 11.7% rise in the earlier month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). It was a ninth consecutive period of growth, extending the market's recovery toward pre-pandemic levels. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles registrations soared by 39.8% to 13,707, and battery electric vehicles rose by 27.7% to 28,063. In turn, hybrid electric vehicles rose by 26.3% to 11,940. These were enough to offset the 2.5% decline in petrol vehicles, which totaled 36,048.