The total number of vehicles registered in Britain for use on British roads (motorparc) at the end of 2025 increased to a new record 42.55 million units, with the average age of passenger cars (car parc) in the UK now 9.7 years.

The British motorparc, including all vehicles registered for use on UK roads, increased to 42,549,649 vehicles in Britain at the end of 2025. The car parc is the largest component — it increased to almost 36.7 million passenger cars. The Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, and Volkswagen Golf are the most common car models in Britain in 2025. Most cars in use in the UK were produced in Germany. Black and grey are the most popular car colors in Britain; pink the rarest. More than half of all cars use petrol, while almost 5% are all-electric.

Latest British Car Sales Data: 2026 (Q1): Brands, Models; 2025: Market Overview, Brands, Models, Electric, Car Parc; 2024-2008.

Composition of the Motorparc in Britain in 2025

The basic composition of the British motorparc, including all registered motorized vehicles in Britain for use on UK roads at the end of 2025, was as follows, according to the SMMT:

Category	2025 Volume	Change (%)	Notes
Total Vehicles	42,549,649	+1.4%	Record high fleet size
Cars	36,676,185	+1.4%	4th consecutive year of growth
Vans	5,175,598	+1.4%	Record level
Trucks	626,566	+0.2%	Record level
Buses & Coaches	71,300	+0.2%	First growth since 2021
— Bus Peak (2007)	103,817	-31.3%	Compared to 2025 level
— Zero-Emission Buses (new)	2,523	—	Highest new bus market since 2008

The total number of vehicles registered for use on roads in the UK reached a new record high with the total fleet rising by 1.4% to 42,549,649 vehicles in 2025, according to Motorparc data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The largest component of the British motorparc is passenger cars, with the car parc increasing by 1.4% — nearly half a million cars — to 36,676,185 in 2025. This was 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. Total new car sales in the UK in 2025 increased by 3.5% to 2,020,520 newly registered passenger vehicles.

Van and truck volumes on British roads also grew to record levels in 2025, up by 1.4% to 5,175,598 and 0.2% to 626,566 units, respectively.

The UK’s bus and coach fleet rose for the first time since 2021, by 0.2% to 71,300 units. However, volumes remain a third (-31.3%) lower than the sector’s 103,817-unit peak in 2007. However, 2025 saw the new bus market reach the highest level since 2008, with 2,523 zero-emission buses entering service, indicating significant fleet renewal.

Most Popular Car Models in Use in Britain in 2025

The 10 most popular car models registered for use on the road in Britain at the end of 2025, according to the SMMT, were:

Rank	Car Model	Number of Vehicles in the UK in 2025
1	Ford Fiesta	1,368,335
2	Vauxhall Corsa	992,919
3	Volkswagen Golf	981,882
4	Ford Focus	948,212
5	Nissan Qashqai	725,575
6	Volkswagen Polo	716,513
7	MINI	657,110
8	Vauxhall Astra	608,488
9	Toyota Yaris	535,551
10	Audi A3	527,930

The Ford Fiesta was the best-selling car model in the UK from 2009 to 2020, so not surprisingly is still the most common car model in Britain despite the nameplate being retired. It is the only car model of which more than a million vehicles are registered for use in Britain, or 3.7% of the total British car parc. The Fiesta name is due to be revived in a small electric car in 2027.

The Vauxhall Corsa is similarly a perennial favorite with British car buyers. Although it rarely took the top slot, it has been among the top ten best-selling car models in the UK for decades.

The VW Golf at third is slightly higher than its general sales position new but the model name has been in use since the mid-1970s. The Golf is also a more expensive model and likely to be maintained to a higher standard and kept longer in running condition than the cheaper super minis.

The Ford Focus was also for decades among the best-selling cars in Britain, but the nameplate and model have been retired without a direct replacement, as British buyers increasingly preferred SUVs. For example, the Nissan Qashqai, which was the fifth most common car on British roads in 2025.

Most Popular Car Colors in Britain in 2025

The ten most common colors for cars registered for use in Britain at the end of 2025, according to the SMMT, were:

Rank	Colour	Number of Vehicles in Use in the UK in 2025
1	Black	7,449,592
2	Grey	6,942,439
3	Blue	5,958,000
4	White	5,869,664
5	Silver/Aluminium	4,687,718
6	Red	3,728,331
7	Green	725,426
8	Orange	287,038
9	Yellow	206,348
10	Brown	199,972

More than half of all cars on British roads are in just three colours. Black, grey, and blue together account for 55.5% of the parc, with black the most popular, covering 20.3% of vehicles.

Only white, silver, and red were the choices of more than a million further car owners in Britain.

Pink is the rarest color for cars in Britain, with just 24,594 in use (0.1%).

Country of Origin of Cars in Britain in 2025

The top ten countries of origin of cars in the British car parc in 2025, according to the SMMT, were:

Rank	Country	Number of Vehicles on British Roads in 2025
1	Germany	10,713,319
2	UK	5,127,185
3	Spain	3,736,561
4	France	2,378,070
5	Japan	2,224,537
6	Czech Republic	2,194,963
7	South Korea	1,405,069
8	Slovakia	1,313,378
9	Poland	958,422
10	Belgium	863,873

German-built cars are most dominant, representing 29.2% of the British passenger car fleet in 2025. It was followed by British (14.0%), Spanish (10.2%), French (6.5%), and Japanese (6.1%) models.

Chinese-assembled cars account for 2.2% of those in use on British roads — a number that is likely to increase fast in the coming years.

For Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV), British-built vehicles are the most popular, at 28.0% of trucks in use – followed by German (21.3%), Italian (14.7%), Dutch (12.2%) and Swedish (10.6%) models.

Fuel and Power Sources of the Motorparc in Britain in 2025

Fleet renewal across all vehicle types in Britain is helping to decarbonise road transport, as more drivers switch to low and zero-carbon technologies. One in nine (10.9%) vehicles on British roads are now electrified, with around one in 22 (4.5%) being completely zero-emission.

Changes in electrified vehicles in Britain in 2025 [including battery electric (BEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), hybrid (HEV) and fuel cell (FCEV)]:

A record 1,797,809 battery electric cars are now in use, up 34.7% on 2024 after significant uplifts in the new car market and now accounting for almost 5% of the car parc.
Zero-emission trucks recorded the strongest growth, doubling to 1,056 units, although this was still less than 0.2% of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in use in the UK.
Zero-emission bus volumes also rose sharply, up 65.2% to account for 8.1% of Britain’s bus fleet.
Battery electric vans grew by 34.6% to exceed 100,000 for the first time, with 113,256 now supporting businesses across the country, 2.2% of vans in service.

Fuel Types for Passenger Cars in Britain

The types of fuel used by passenger cars in Britain of all cars registered for use on British roads:

Fuel Type	Share in 2025 (%)
Petrol	57.7%
Diesel	30.1%
Battery Electric	4.9%
Hybrid Electric	4.7%
Plug-in Hybrid	2.6%

The average car CO2 emissions of cars in Britain are down by -2.9% on 2024, demonstrating the importance of fleet renewal and increasing demand for lower-emission powertrains.

Average Age of the British Car Parc in 2025

The average share by age of cars on British roads in 2025:

Age of Cars in Britain	Share (%) in 2025
Less than 3 years	15.9%
3–6 years old	13.0%
7–9 years old	18.6%
10–12 years old	19.3%
More than 12 years	33.1%

A record 45.7% of all cars on the road in the UK have now been in service for more than a decade, up from 43.4% in 2024. As a result, the UK’s cars are getting older, with the average age rising to 9.7 years, up from 9.5 in 2024, as motorists hold onto vehicles for longer amid cost-of-living pressures and economic uncertainty. Cars may also simply last longer with owners less inclined to replace cars that are still functioning well.