British new car registrations rose nearly 12 per cent in July, marking their best performance since ​2019 as battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales reached another record, ‌industry data showed on Wednesday.

EV sales have been supported by higher fuel prices following the Iran war, a wider choice of lower-cost models, ​government grants and manufacturer discounts.

Growth, however, remained below the ​pace needed to meet the government’s targets on ⁠the path to net zero.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and ​Traders (SMMT) said 156,571 units were sold in the month, up 11.7 per cent ​from last year with BEV market share reaching 27.5 per cent.

While automakers have been pushing to meet government targets for EV sales, heavy discounts to offset ​slow demand and avoid compliance costs have pressured the ​manufacturers.

“July’s record EV performance is a great achievement, reflecting industry’s huge investment in ‌zero ⁠emission mobility. But that progress cannot be sustained if manufacturers continue haemorrhaging billions in EV discounts, distorting demand to avoid even steeper penalties,” SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said in a ​statement.

The body uplifted ​its BEV market ⁠share forecast for 2026 to 27.4 per cent of the total cars sold, up from the 26.8 per cent ​it had guided to in April, but still ​behind ⁠the 33 per cent mandate target.

BEVs market share is now expected to hit 32.1 per cent in 2027, trailing mandate target of 38 per cent.

Data from New Automotive ⁠released ​on Tuesday, showed BEV market share ​had reached 27.4 per cent in July. The two bodies use different data sources and ​calculation methods.