Fleets account for over 61pc of UK new car market

Fleets continue to be the largest source of new car registrations in UK, accounting for 61.2 per cent of the market.

The latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that fleet sales increased by 1.6 per cent in January 2026.

Growth was recorded across all buyer types, with registrations by private retail buyers up 4.5 per cent while the low-volume business segment rose 46.5 per cent.

As a whole, the UK new car market grew by 3.4 per cent in January to reach 144,127 units, resulting in the best start to a year since pre-pandemic 2020.

The largest growth was again recorded in plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), rising 47.3 per cent to account for 12.9 per cent of registrations.

Rounding off electrified vehicle uptake, hybrid electric vehicles posted a 4.8 per cent increase, comprising 13.4 per cent of the market.