Britain now has more vehicles on its roads than ever before, with the total fleet rising by 1.4% to 42,549,649 vehicles in 2025, according to new Motorparc data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The number of cars in use rose by more than half a million, or 1.4%, to 36,676,185, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth and the second largest volume increase since 2016 – driven by a recovering new car market and high build quality supported by a vibrant aftermarket.
EV uptake grows
More drivers are switching to low and zero carbon technologies with one in nine vehicles on the road now electrified, with around one in 22 completely zero-emission.
A record 1,797,809 battery electric cars are now in use, up 34.7% on 2024 and accounting for almost 5% of the car parc, following strong growth in new car registrations supported by manufacturer discounting and government incentives.
The shift to cleaner technologies is delivering environmental benefits, with average car CO2 emissions down by 2.9% compared with 2024.
Ageing car parc
However, a record 45.7% of all cars on the road have now been in service for more than a decade, up from 43.4% in 2024. The average age of cars has increased to 9.7 years, as motorists hold onto vehicles for longer amid cost of living pressures and economic uncertainty.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Britain’s vehicle parc is growing with record numbers of newer zero emission vehicles on our roads driving environmental, economic and safety benefits. This is grounds for celebration but the pace has to quicken if ambition is to match demand with the average age of vehicles on our roads actually rising.
“A holistic review of the UK’s ZEV transition is essential, therefore, to ensure that every business and consumer can make the switch so that we can deliver net zero by 2050.”
Ensure you always receive AM insights. Make us a preferred source of news on Google