THE UK's used car market returned to growth in the second quarter, up 0.7 per cent as 2,009,318 vehicles changed hands, according to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

The performance marked the first Q2 since 2021 in which volumes surpassed two million units, with transactions 1.2 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.This helped offset the marginal decline recorded in the first quarter of 2026, delivering overall market growth of 0.2 per cent year to date, with 4,025,550 transactions.

In the second quarter, battery electric car transactions rose67.0 per centto 110,761 units, the strongest quarterly growth since Q1 2024.

Demand rose particularly sharply in April and May (up 110.9 per cent and 57.6 per cent respectively compared with 37.8 per cent in June), coinciding with fuel price rises linked to the Middle East conflict and set against a relatively weak performance last year when VED changes came into effect.

Between April and June, more than one in 18 buyers (5.5 per cent) made the switch, up from around one in 30 (3.3 per cent) a year ago, reflecting the growing choice of models entering the market.

Hybrid electric vehicle sales also rose, up 31.2 per cent to 130,825 units, increasing their market share to 6.5 per cent from 5.0 per cent in the same period last year.

Plug-in hybrid transactions, meanwhile, fell by -6.8 per cent to 22,856 units, accounting for 1.1 per cent of overall demand, down from 1.2 per cent in 2025.

Petrol remained the most popular fuel type, despite transactions falling by 1.2 per cent to 1,121,243, while diesel sales continued to decline, down 7.2 per cent to 620,045, reflecting shorter supply from the new car market. Even so, almost nine in 10 (86.7 per cent) buyers still chose conventionally fuelled cars in the quarter.

Superminis remained Britain's best-selling used car type, accounting for 31.7 per cent of demand, with volumes rising 0.2 per cent. The lower medium segment followed, with a 26.6 per cent market share and a 0.2 per cent increase. Dual purpose cars recorded the strongest growth, up 7.4 per cent to secure 17.7 per cent of overall sales.

Following the trend in the new car market, monochrome colours dominated, with more than one million used cars sold in black, grey or white (1,134,536). All three recorded growth in the quarter, up 0.7 per cent, 4.1 per cent, and 4.7 per cent, respectively, and together accounted for more than half (56.5 per cent) of the market. Blue ranked fourth despite a 1.1 per cent decline, while silver retained fifth place despite a 6.4 per cent decline in sales.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executivesaid: "A return to growth is good news for motorists and the wider automotive sector, with sales of used EVs rising particularly strongly as more choice reaches more buyers. As the used market is where most people buy their cars, plentiful and affordable supply is vital, however, increasingly unrealistic targets in the new car market risk constraining that supply and pushing up costs. Urgent regulatory reform is needed to deliver a transition that works for every driver."