Almost One in Four UK Car Buyers Now Choose Electric Vehicles

The UK new car market has passed a major milestone, with 2,020,520 new registrations recorded in 2025. This marks the first time sales have exceeded two million since before the pandemic and represents a 3.5% year-on-year increase.

More significantly, 23.4% of those new cars were fully electric, with 473,348 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) registered over the year. This figure is higher than total BEV registrations in 2021 and 2022 combined, highlighting how quickly electric vehicles are becoming a mainstream choice for UK drivers.

What this means for EV charging

From Roam’s perspective, the growth in electric vehicle sales brings the spotlight onto how charging is delivered in everyday places.

As more drivers choose electric, the pressure increases on shared locations such as residential car parks, workplaces and visitor destinations. Many of these sites were not originally designed with EV charging in mind, which can make the idea of installation feel complex or expensive.

However, there are now more routes available to support installation than many businesses and property managers realise. A combination of government-backed funding schemes and fully funded charging models is helping reduce upfront costs and simplify delivery. In many cases, charging can be introduced without large capital investment or ongoing operational involvement from the site owner.

The conversation is increasingly about access rather than technology. Making charging available where people already park helps remove a key barrier to EV adoption and ensures sites remain practical and attractive as electric vehicles become more common.

Infrastructure must keep pace with demand

While electrified vehicles continue to grow, combustion engine cars still account for around half of new registrations. This places the UK in a key transition phase where confidence in charging availability will play a major role in sustaining EV uptake.

For Roam, this means delivering charging infrastructure that is accessible and simple to use. Residential car parks, workplaces and destination sites all need solutions that can grow in line with demand and remain easy for drivers to understand and rely on.

The bigger picture

These figures reinforce what we see across our network. Electric vehicles are no longer niche.

Continued adoption depends on charging that fits naturally into daily life. By working with property owners, housing providers and businesses, Roam is helping ensure the UK’s expanding EV market is supported by infrastructure that works for drivers today and in the years ahead.

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