Market overview for Q2 2026
The used car market returned to growth in the second quarter of 2026, with transactions rising by 0.7% to 2,009,318 units. The increase is confirmed in data released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The national total of just over two million second‑hand transactions provides the scale for activity across the UK in Q2 2026.
This summary sets out confirmed volumes and movements across fuel types rather than interpreting causes. The figures indicate how the composition of the market changed in the quarter and offer a factual basis for understanding availability and choice for buyers and sellers.
Battery electric vehicles: rapid growth confirmed
Battery electric vehicle (BEV) transactions in the used market rose sharply in Q2 2026, increasing by 67.0% to 110,761 units. BEVs reached a market share of 5.5% in the quarter — stated in the data as equivalent to one in 18 buyers choosing a battery electric vehicle.
Those figures are drawn directly from the SMMT release and show a marked year‑on‑year increase in second‑hand BEV activity. The confirmed rise in BEV transactions is a clear numerical change within the quarter’s used‑car totals and sets out how BEVs feature within the overall market conduct of Q2 2026.
Hybrids and plug‑in hybrids: mixed movements
Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) transactions also increased in Q2 2026, rising by 31.2% to 130,825 units and accounting for a market share of 6.5% in the quarter. By contrast, transactions of plug‑in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) fell by 6.8% to 22,856 units.
Taken together, the confirmed counts for BEVs, HEVs and PHEVs in Q2 2026 are 110,761, 130,825 and 22,856 respectively. The combined total of those three electrified categories is 264,442 transactions in the quarter. That combined total represents approximately 13.2% of the national used car transactions figure of 2,009,318 in Q2 2026, based on the supplied data.
London context and practical reader implications
Greater London recorded 156,673 used car transactions in Q2 2026, as specified in the release. That figure is part of the national total of 2,009,318 transactions and situates London‑area activity within the overall UK picture for the quarter.
For London readers and prospective buyers, the confirmed figures point to how electric and hybrid second‑hand options featured in market activity during Q2 2026. The data show one in 18 buyers nationally chose a used BEV in the quarter, and hybrids accounted for a further confirmed share. The quarter’s volumes for London are provided as a factual measure of local market activity rather than an assessment of availability at individual dealerships.
The release from the SMMT supplies the verified numbers that underpin these points: national totals, the scale of BEV growth, hybrid gains and PHEV decline, and the count for London transactions. These are the confirmed data points for Q2 2026 and can be used by buyers, sellers and industry observers as a factual reference for that quarter’s used car market composition.
For Further information on this update, readers can consult the linked source document.
