Two million electric vehicles (EVs) have been registered in the UK, with 100,000 drivers having benefitted from electric car grant funding introduced last year.

The new figures, published by the Department for Transport (DfT), suggest that the electric car grant, worth up to £3,750 off a new EV, is breaking down one of the key barriers to drivers making the switch to electric by cutting the upfront cost of an EV.

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Demand for EVs, says the DfT, surged 10% in the six months from when the electric car grant launched in July 2025.

Transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “As global fuel prices continue to fluctuate, making the switch has never made more sense.

“We’ve made it cheaper and easier than ever to buy an EV, helping over 100,000 drivers save up to £3,750 off the cost of a new electric car.

“We’re also investing £600 million to deliver hundreds of thousands of additional chargers to support this uptick and build on the 119,000 already available – that’s twice the number of petrol pumps.”

The DfT figures come after data from Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that the number of vehicles on UK roads hit a record 42.55 million in 2025, with one in 22 of them zero-emission.

It also revealed that one-in-10 (10.4%) of all cars are registered to a company, but more than half (55.4%) of zero-emission cars are company-registered.

Tanya Sinclair, CEO at Electric Vehicles UK, said: “Two million electric vehicles in the UK shows that if the market offers choice, value and availability, drivers will snap it up.

“Policies and incentives all need to point drivers towards EVs too, which is why the electric car grant has put 100,000 more people behind the wheel, who might otherwise have waited.

“It is now more important than ever for Government to build on these foundations with cohesive policy. If it does, the market and the next two million EVs will follow.”

Jarrod Birch, head of policy and public affairs at ChargeUK, added: “It could not be clearer that now is the time for government to hit the accelerator pedal on the EV transition, not hit the brake by watering down manufacturers’ sales quotas.

“It can do so by fixing the policy issues pushing up public charging costs, ensuring millions more can make the switch and get off the fossil fuel price rollercoaster.”

While also welcoming the milestone, Vicky Edmonds, chief executive officer for EVA England, said: “This can’t just be about targets and big headline numbers.

“Getting the transition right means reaching the people who’ve so far been left out. Particularly those without easy access to home charging who face higher costs, and many middle- and lower-income households.

“That’s what will ultimately determine whether this shift works for everyday drivers, not just those already able to make the switch.”

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