Fleet and business registrations accounted for 60% of new cars registered in the UK during the first nine months of 2026, as the market recorded its strongest September since 2017.
The UK new car market grew by 12% in September, with registrations to fleets and businesses continuing to provide the majority of new car demand.
Preliminary figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that 350,536 new cars were registered in September, up from 312,891 during the same month last year.
Fleet and business registrations combined rose by more than 10% to 201,370, accounting for 57.4% of all registrations during the important September plate-change month.
The figures include 190,988 fleet registrations, up 9.6%, alongside 10,372 registrations by smaller businesses, which increased by a much stronger 37.3%.
The combined business market has now passed the one-million mark for the year, with 1,043,306 fleet and business cars registered during the first nine months of 2026.
That represents an 8.6% increase on the 961,200 registered during the same period last year, with business registrations growing particularly strongly.
Fleet registrations are up 8% year to date, while smaller business registrations have increased by 22.8%.
Together, fleet and business registrations now account for 60% of the UK's new car market.
Private registrations have also grown during the year, rising 12.8% to 695,965, but business demand remains the dominant source of new-car registrations.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “September’s record EV performance is a major achievement. Drivers are increasingly embracing the growing choice of models made available and high fuel prices are also undoubtedly giving more consumers reason to consider going electric. The industry’s commitment is clear with billions of pounds of investment in new models, new technology and incentives.”
