The new 76 plate has arrived: What does this tell us about the market?

The arrival of a new registration plate is always an important, and somewhat exciting, moment for the UK new-car market. September traditionally brings a significant uplift in registrations, making the performance of the new plate a useful snapshot of changing consumer demand.

So, how did the new 76 plate compare with the 75 plate?

The initial figures present a positive picture. Registrations increased from 313,116 for the 75 plate to 349,467 for the 76 plate, representing growth of approximately 11.6% compared to last September.

However, the increase in overall volume is only part of the story. The vehicles making up those registrations are changing too, with fully electric and petrol-electric models occupying a greater share of the market while traditional petrol vehicles have continued to decline.

The 76 plate reshuffles the leaderboard

The 76 plate brought noticeable change to the list of UK new car registrations for September.

The Tesla Model 3 led 76-plate registrations, accounting for 2.82% of the market. The Jaecoo 7 followed closely with around 9,230 registrations and a 2.64% share, while the Tesla Model Y placed third with 5,886 registrations. Looking at the registrations, this was a considerable change from the 75-plate leaderboard, which was headed by the Kia Sportage with around a 1.83% share with also Vauxhall Corsa, BYD Seal U, Ford Puma and Jaecoo 7 completing the top five.

Tesla's movement is particularly notable. While The Model 3 did not feature amongst the leading models during the comparable 2025 period, yet for the 76 plate it moved into first place overall. The Jaecoo 7 also strengthened its position considerably. Having already secured a place within the top five in 2025 with a 1.58% share, it increased to around 2.64% for the 76 plates.

Together, these movements show that growth in the new-car market is being accompanied by a significant reshuffling of the leading models. Established names remain prominent, but newer brands and electric vehicles are capturing a larger proportion of registrations.

The rise of fully electric vehicles

Fully electric vehicles were one of the clearest areas of growth between the two registration plates.

Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 28.31% of 76-plate registrations, up from 23.15% for the 75 plate. In volume terms, fully electric registrations increased from around 72,501 to 98,927, a rise of approximately 36.4%. Tesla featured particularly strongly. The Model 3 headed the overall leaderboard, while the Model Y placed third. Together, the two models recorded more than 15,700 registrations.

The leading fully electric models also demonstrate the increasing breadth of the market. Alongside the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, the top five included the BYD Sealion 7, BYD Seal and Kia EV3.

The comparison with petrol is particularly striking. Petrol's market share fell from 45.13% to 37.64%, a reduction of 7.49%. Petrol registration volume also fell from 141,323 to 131,528. On the other hand, Petrol-electric vehicles moved in the opposite direction. Registrations increased from 86,223 to 104,149, while their share rose from 27.54% to 29.80%.

Combined, fully electric and petrol-electric vehicles accounted for approximately 58.1% of 76-plate registrations, compared with around 50.7% for the 75 plate. These figures show how electrified powertrains are forming a substantial part of the new-car market. While some consumers may not yet be ready to make the full transition to a battery-electric vehicle, petrol-electric models could offer a more familiar stepping stone. They combine elements of electrification with the reassurance of a petrol engine, which may help explain their growing share of registrations.

SUVs maintain a strong market position

The 76 plate brought considerable change to the model leaderboard, but one feature of the market remained familiar: the continued popularity of SUVs.

This made SUVs the dominant body style by a considerable margin, ahead of hatchbacks at 26.77%. SUV registrations increased by 9,810 compared with the 75 plate, representing growth of approximately 5.2%. However, their overall market share fell from 60.07% to around 57%, as other body styles grew more quickly.

Part of the SUV category's strength lies in its breadth. The Jaecoo 7, Tesla Model Y, MG HS and BYD Seal U all featured among the leading models. Consumers can now choose from compact and larger models across petrol, hybrid and fully electric powertrains. This allows the body style to remain prominent even as preferences around fuel type and individual models continue to change.

The figures show that the transition towards electrification is not reducing the SUV's position in the market. Instead, the category is changing alongside it, with a broader range of electrified SUVs forming part of today's new-car landscape.

Although SUVs remained dominant, saloons recorded one of the most significant changes in the body-style data. Saloon registrations increased from 10,558 for the 75 plate to 20,798 for the 76 plate. Their share of registrations rose from 3.37% in September 2025 to 5.95% in September 2026.

The Tesla Model 3 played a major role in this increase, alongside the BYD Seal. The growth in saloon registrations shows that the rise of electric vehicles is not limited to the SUV category. Manufacturers are expanding their electric ranges across different body styles to meet a broader variety of consumer requirements, helping to bring renewed prominence to the saloon market.