The UK has reached a monumental electric car milestone: two million EVs are now on our roads.
The new statistic has been confirmed today by the Department for Transport and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
The two million number - and counting - is being dubbed a 'key' moment in the switch to zero emissions driving.
The total number of electric cars in the UK is up 15 per cent on last year, with last month seeing the highest demand for new models ever recorded.
It comes off the back of the Government's Electric Car Grant (ECG), which has reportedly seen 100,000 subscribers to the discount scheme which shaves between £1,500 and £3,750 off the list price of some affordable EVs.
And vast manufacturer investment means there is a massive choice of 160 electric models now in showrooms – up from just over 130 at the start of 2025 – with at least 60 more due to arrive in 2026.
The UK has reached an EV milestone with two million electric vehicles registered in a 'landmark' moment for zero emissions driving
The DfT says demand for EVs surged 10 per cent in the six months after the Electric Car Grant launched in July 2025 - and could accelerate even faster as motorists consider ditching their petrol and diesel cars over rocketing fuel prices triggered by conflict in Iran.
Recent figures from online car buying platform Autotrader have suggested that electric cars are now cheaper to buy - on average - than petrol models for the first time, which the Government attributes to discounts applies from the ECG.
However, this is based solely on the price advertised on Autotrader's website, rather than a conclusive market-wide study.
Car makers have also been heavily discounting EVs, with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) recently revealing that brands are being forced to discount their cars at a cost of £11,000 each in order to hit EV sales targets set by the Government.
This demonstrates the harsh reality behind the healthy sales increase in EVs, which saw almost half a million (473,348) new EVs registered during 2025 – more than in the whole of 2021 and 2022 combined.
EV market share rose to reach 23.4 per cent – a strong uplift, but with a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate target of 28 per cent the gap remains.
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Commenting on the two million milestone, Heidi Alexander, Secretary of State for Transport, said:
'Today, over two million EVs are now registered across the UK - a key moment in the UK’s transition to electric, backed by £7.5 billion in government funding. And 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.'