UK EV sales surge 36% to record high in September

This is UK news, but it's worth a quick look if you're weighing an EV for your own home charging setup. Britain registered a record 99,199 battery-electric cars in September, up 36% from a year earlier, making up 28.3% of all new car sales. Plug-in hybrids also jumped, up 56% to a record 17% share. Together, cars with a plug made up 45% of the UK market that month, while gas-only cars kept losing ground.

Tesla's Model 3 was the top-selling EV, helped by a cheaper China-built version, with BYD and Kia models close behind. The surge comes as the UK's auto industry group argues the government's EV sales targets, which call for 33% electric share this year, are too strict given high electricity prices there. Supporters counter that the rules include flexibility for automakers and that the market is already outperforming the "real" adjusted target once credits are factored in.

None of this changes rebates or programs here, but it's a sign of where EV costs and model choice are heading. More competition among brands, including budget options from Chinese automakers, has been pushing prices down and choices up abroad. If you're considering an EV and planning for home charging or solar, it's a reminder that battery costs and model variety are moving fast worldwide, even if the US market looks different for now.