Monthly Fuel Trend: May 2026
May 2026 was led by hybrid registrations, with petrol and electric running close together behind it. Diesel is still meaningful in volume, but it now sits clearly behind the three main passenger-car fuel groups in this monthly snapshot.
Based on AutoRank vehicle registration data for 1 May 2026 to 31 May 2026. Counts are fuel-known registrations recorded in the vehicle data.
May fuel mix
Hybrid leads the month, while petrol and electric sit close enough to compare directly.
Hybrid plus electric
105,316 of 179,807 May registrations were hybrid or electric.
What changed in May
Hybrid Electric (Clean) was the biggest fuel group in May, with 63,273 registrations. Petrol followed at 44,472, while Electric was close behind on 42,043.
Compared with April, the overall May market was a touch softer, down from 182,750 to 179,807 fuel-known registrations. Electric registrations still nudged up by 196, petrol was almost flat, and hybrid volume eased by 2,491.
That mix makes May feel less like a simple electric-versus-petrol story and more like a three-way market. Hybrid takes the largest share, electric is now close to petrol, and diesel remains relevant but no longer leads the conversation.
Why this matters if you are choosing a car
A high-registration fuel type usually means more choice and clearer pricing. In May, that points buyers toward hybrid, petrol and electric if they want the broadest range of current stock.
The useful takeaway is not that one fuel type is right for everyone. It is that the market is now split enough that running costs, home charging, mileage and tax should decide the shortlist, not habit alone.
May 2026 registrations by fuel type
Hybrid Electric (Clean), Petrol, Electric and Diesel make up almost the whole May fuel-known market.