Moto calls for faster UK charging rollout as BEVs overtake petrol in August 2026 sales

Battery electric vehicles became the UK's best selling fuel type in August 2026, overtaking petrol for the first time as new car registrations rose 17.5 per cent year on year, according to Nick Tatum, Chief EV and Energy Officer at Moto Hospitality. Year to date BEV share stands at 25.6 per cent, below the 33 per cent Zero Emission Vehicle mandate target, with seasonal August BEV share rising from around 20 per cent in 2023 to almost 30 per cent in 2026. Tatum argues the gap in adoption is not consumer appetite but whether charging infrastructure can scale fast enough to meet demand.

Why it matters: The milestone shift in fuel type sales underscores the urgency for charge point operators and infrastructure developers to accelerate deployment plans to avoid becoming a bottleneck to EV uptake. With BEV share climbing rapidly year on year, procurement teams face mounting pressure to secure sites and grid capacity ahead of sustained demand growth.