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Plug-in hybrid SUV logged 10,064 March registrations as electrified vehicles hit record UK market share.
The Jaecoo 7 logged 10,064 UK registrations in March 2026, outpacing the Ford Puma’s 9,193 units and Nissan Qashqai’s 8,718. No Chinese model had topped monthly UK sales before. The Chery-owned SUV launched in September 2025. Historic milestone.
March marked the strongest UK new car month since 2019, with total registrations climbing 6.6% to 380,627 units, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders monthly report, published April 2026. Electrified vehicles drove the surge, with plug-in hybrids jumping 46.9% and battery electric vehicles rising 24.2% compared to March 2025. — Omoda 9 hybrid SUV.
PHEV dominance drives surge
Jaecoo’s plug-in hybrid variant accounted for 85% of March sales. The Super Hybrid System delivers 56 miles electric-only range. Fleet buyers benefit from lower tax brackets. Pricing starts at £29,105 for petrol, rising to £35,175 for the range-topping plug-in hybrid version, undercutting comparable rivals by several thousand pounds. The model now sits second in year-to-date rankings with 15,569 registrations, trailing the Ford Puma’s 16,128 by just 559 units.
Market share breakthrough
Plug-in hybrids captured 13% of UK sales in March. Self-charging hybrids reached 15.8%. Battery electric vehicles claimed 22.6% market share. The government’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate requires 33% for 2026. That leaves a 10.4 percentage point gap with nine months remaining. Traditional petrol and diesel models filled the remaining 52.6% of registrations, down from previous years but still representing the majority of new car purchases across dealerships nationwide. — Chinese manufacturers' European production strategies.
Discount dependency concerns
Manufacturers are relying heavily on discounts to maintain momentum, according to SMMT analysis. Battery costs run 30% above projections. Public charging prices climbed 140% over five years. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, warned that “much of March’s performance will be from orders placed before the start of the Iran conflict, which threatens to raise the cost of living.” Record incentives failed to close the EV mandate gap. Margins look increasingly fragile. — European trade policy developments.
Rapid UK expansion
Jaecoo’s UK network spans 124 locations. Sister brands Omoda and Jaecoo moved 80,000 vehicles in 19 months. March alone delivered 17,861 combined registrations. The brands offer seven-year warranties to counter buyer hesitation about new nameplates entering the established UK market, where German premium brands and British volume manufacturers have historically dominated the sales charts through decades of dealership relationships and brand recognition built up since the post-war automotive boom years.
Battery electric vehicles reached their highest ever monthly UK volume in March, yet still fell 10.4 percentage points short of the 2026 government mandate. The Iran conflict could further complicate consumer confidence as fuel and living costs rise. Next SMMT data releases in May. The complete Jaecoo model history and specifications are catalogued in the Global Auto Index manufacturer database.
