Car Market Insight: June 2026

In our latest Market Insight webinar, John Brannigan and Natalie Short reviewed the latest SMMT car market data and Signal customer sentiment data for June. They explored the continued growth in EV market share and reviewed what Signal’s latest brand league table and customer sentiment scores are showing about the customer experience.

June delivered another strong month for the UK new car market, with registrations up 11.4% year on year and the market now nearly 10% ahead of 2025 year to date. EVs continued to shape the picture, with battery electric vehicles reaching 30% of the market for the month. While this is a record monthly share, it still sits below the 2026 ZEV Mandate target of 33% for new zero-emission car sales, with the target rising to 38% in 2027 and 52% in 2028.

Missed the webinar? Watch the full recording here.

A growing market with more customer choice

The first half of 2026 has shown consistent market momentum, with June continuing the strong performance seen across recent months. As retailers look ahead to September, the data suggests there is still clear appetite among customers to research, compare and change vehicles.

The standout movement was in EV and hybrid powertrains. BEVs recorded a 26.6% year-to-date increase, HEVs were up 10% and PHEVs were up 38.5%. Combined, these now account for more than half of new vehicle registrations.

BEVs reached 30% of the market in June, their highest ever share for a single month. Tesla’s strong June performance, with nearly 12,000 registrations, may have contributed to that figure, while the Ford Puma, Kia Sportage and Jaecoo 7 continued to feature strongly in the year-to-date model rankings. As John noted, the market appears to be moving closer to a tipping point, even though the annual ZEV trajectory remains challenging.

EV confidence is building, but conversations are becoming more complex

The growth in BEV and PHEV registrations suggests customer confidence is continuing to build. For many drivers, PHEVs are acting as a bridge into EV ownership, particularly as many now offer more than 50 miles of electric range. For some customers, that covers two or three days of typical driving.

Charging infrastructure is also becoming more visible and more relevant in customer conversations. Around 1.4 million home and workplace chargers are now in place, while public and destination charging continue to grow. Tools such as Zapmap can also help customers understand the charging options available near home, work or regular journeys.

The webinar also explored Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funding, which is designed to help councils improve charging access for people without driveways or home charging. On-street chargers have increased by 18% this year, with around 40,000 now available, and over 40% of local councils offering cross-pavement charging solutions.

For retailers, this means EV conversations need to go beyond range and monthly payment. Teams need to understand local charging provision, council plans, finance options for charge point installation and the practical questions customers are likely to ask before making the switch. Providers such as Octopus Electric Vehicles can also be useful reference points when discussing EV leasing, charging and wider ownership support.

Fleet continues to shape the market

Fleet remains the dominant sales channel, accounting for 58% of the market year to date. Private registrations are approaching half a million for the year, while business sales sit at 2.3%.

The webinar highlighted the opportunity within smaller business fleets, particularly one to five vehicle businesses. Some of these customers may be recorded within private sales, but still have potential business-use needs and may not fully understand the incentives available to them.

Capital allowances were highlighted as a key conversation point. New and unused electric vehicles currently qualify for 100% first-year allowances, while there are also lease rental and VAT considerations that may support business customers when they speak to their accountant.

With September approaching, retailers have an opportunity to engage local businesses, run targeted events and position themselves as a trusted source of vehicle and funding information, without trying to act as tax advisers.

Signal Spotlight: Vehicle preparation

Moving into Signal, the latest data highlighted a recurring customer sentiment theme: vehicle preparation.

Signal analyses public Google and Trustpilot reviews to identify themes in customer feedback across automotive brands and dealer groups.

Complaint handling was also acknowledged as a continued priority, following the focus in last month’s Market Insight article. With finance-related complaints still likely to come through during the second half of the year, teams need to be ready to manage customer queries clearly and correctly.

The June data showed that vehicle quality and preparation remain important drivers of customer sentiment. This links directly to the wider market environment, where customers have more choice, more competitors to compare and higher expectations around the experience they receive.

For retailers, the practical message is simple. Strong preparation, clear communication and confident issue resolution are not back-office details. They are visible parts of the customer experience and can influence whether customers trust the business enough to return.

Three practical priorities for retailers

Based on the June data and Signal findings, the session highlighted three priorities for retailers:

1. Prepare early for September
   Identify customers likely to change before the end of the year and start booking conversations now, rather than only focusing on immediate opportunities.
2. Build confidence in EV and business conversations
   Make sure teams understand local charging infrastructure, LEVI funding, charge point options, tools such as Zapmap, capital allowances and business incentives so they can answer customer questions with confidence.
3. Know your proposition against the competition
   With more than 75 brands now operating in the UK, teams need to understand how their offer compares on finance, service plans, warranties, maintenance and overall value, not just price.

Final thoughts

June’s data points to a market with real momentum. Registrations are growing, EV share is rising and customers are returning to showrooms in stronger numbers, helped by greater choice and increased interest from newer market entrants.

That confidence also brings complexity. Retailers need to be ready for more informed customers, more competitor comparisons, more EV questions and continued scrutiny of the customer experience, from enquiry through to preparation, handover and follow-up.

RTS Group’s monthly Automotive Market Insight webinars are designed to help automotive teams keep track of the latest market data, gain insight into customer sentiment themes and deliver practical actions for you to take away.

Sign up as part of your monthly market digest or if you’d like to explore how RTS Group can further support your commercial capability and performance in evolving markets, please get in touch.