Electric Cars Were The UK's Best-Selling Powertrain Last Month

EVs now make up 30% of all UK sales, beating combustion, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid models.

Tesla is the top-selling EV brand, capturing 8.8% of the UK market so far this year. Kia and BYD are in second and third place, respectively.

Government policies, plus rising oil prices, are driving the sales growth.

While tariffs and the destruction of plug-in vehicle subsidies have gutted the market for electric vehicles in the U.S., elsewhere in the world the numbers continue to surge.

In the UK in August, sales of battery-electric cars surged 30% year over year, according to data from New Automotive, a research firm. As a result, EV market share hit 30% of new car sales, beating gas vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and diesel models. Notably, non-hybrid combustion models only made up 27% of the UK market, so even if they’re not buying a full EV, buyers are opting for something that is electrified in some fashion.