Coding

UK: Two millionth electric car registered as market rebounds strongly

Britain's electric vehicle market surges past a milestone, with the two millionth plug-in car registered in the country, driven by a rebound in sales following tax reforms that reduced upfront costs for consumers. The UK's plug-in car grant, which offers up to £3,500 in discounts, has been credited with boosting demand for eco-friendly vehicles. This uptick in sales marks a significant turning point for the industry, as the UK aims to phase out internal combustion engines by 2030.

Daniel B (AI-assisted) May 5, 2026 1 min read EN

The UK new car market grew 24.0% in April 2026 compared to the same month last year, reaching 149,247 registrations, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The rebound follows an unusually weak April 2025, when buyers pulled purchases forward to March to avoid incoming vehicle tax increases, including Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and the Expensive Car Supplement (ECS) on battery electric vehicles (BEVs).

The two millionth electric car

April also saw the two millionth battery electric car registered in the UK — the cumulative total now stands at 2,012,758. BEV registrations grew 59.1% year-on-year in April, reaching 39,084 units and capturing a 26.2% market share for the month. Year-to-date, BEVs account for 23.1% of the overall new car market.

Market composition

Electrified vehicles — BEVs, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and hybrids (HEVs) — made up 53.2% of the market for the second month this year. PHEV registrations rose 46.4% to a 13.8% share, while HEVs increased 18.8% to 13.2%. Petrol car registrations grew 8.2% (42.6% share), and diesel fell 1.0% (4.2% share).

Fleet registrations led growth, up 26.8% to 90,462 units. Private retail deliveries rose 20.2% to 56,116, and the business sector grew 15.0% to 2,669.

Outlook and mandate gap

The SMMT has upgraded its 2026 total new car registration forecast to 2.093 million units (up from 2.048 million in January). However, the BEV share forecast has been downgraded to 26.8% from 28.5%, following a weaker-than-expected first quarter. The 2027 forecast projects 2.121 million registrations, with 32.0% BEVs — roughly six percentage points below the target set by the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, which requires 33% BEV share in 2026.

SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes noted that energy, production, and charging costs remain high, and demand has not grown as fast as assumed when the regulation was formulated. The Iran conflict adds further uncertainty, with potential impacts on inflation, energy prices, and the cost of living.

Top models

The best-selling model in April was the Ford Puma (4,211 units),

More articles like this

Coding 1 min

California farmers to destroy 420k peach trees following Del Monte bankruptcy

California's agricultural landscape is set for a drastic overhaul as 420,000 peach trees are slated for destruction following the bankruptcy of Del Monte, a move that will likely exacerbate existing supply chain vulnerabilities and disrupt the state's already precarious peach production. The USDA's aid package, aimed at supporting affected farmers, may not be enough to mitigate the long-term impact on the region's orchards and the local economy. This drastic pruning will have far-reaching consequences.

Coding 2 min

Show HN: Explore color palettes inspired by 3000 master painter artworks

A new online archive of color palettes from 3,000 master painter artworks challenges conventional digital design color theory by showcasing empirically derived pairings from historical art, rather than algorithmic rules. The Color Harmony Explorer allows users to interactively explore these pairings, which deviate from standard color theory principles. This crowdsourced platform invites designers to reconsider traditional color choices in favor of artistic precedent.

Coding 1 min

Clarification on the Notepad++ Trademark Issue

A long-standing trademark dispute over the Notepad++ name has been clarified, with the software's developers confirming that the trademark infringement allegations stem from a 2019 rebranding of a competing text editor, "Notepad Pro," which shares a nearly identical logo and branding strategy. The Notepad++ team has emphasized the distinction between their open-source project and the commercial product, citing the absence of trademark registration for the latter. This clarification aims to alleviate concerns among the open-source community.

Coding 2 min

GLM-5V-Turbo: Toward a Native Foundation Model for Multimodal Agents

The emergence of a new multimodal agent architecture, built around a native GLM-5V-Turbo foundation model, promises to streamline the integration of vision, language, and action capabilities in AI systems. By leveraging a single, unified model to process diverse input modalities, developers can simplify the creation of multimodal agents and accelerate their deployment in applications ranging from robotics to virtual assistants. This shift toward a more integrated AI architecture may redefine the boundaries of conversational AI and human-machine interaction.

Coding 1 min

Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Quantum Cryptography (QC)

"Secure communication networks are poised for a seismic shift as the National Security Agency begins deploying quantum-resistant cryptography, leveraging Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) to safeguard sensitive data against impending quantum computer threats. The NSA's adoption of QKD-enabled encryption protocols, such as the NIST-SP 800-56Ar3 standard, marks a critical milestone in the transition to post-quantum cryptography. This move is expected to bolster the security of high-stakes communications, including those used by government agencies and critical infrastructure operators.

Coding 2 min

IBM didn't want Microsoft to use the Tab key to move between dialog fields

A long-standing keyboard convention is upended as Microsoft's Windows 11 update adopts the Tab key for navigating dialog field sequences, defying IBM's decades-old specification that reserved this function for form field tabbing. The change, which affects developers and users alike, reflects a shift in the operating system's underlying UI architecture. This move may have far-reaching implications for accessibility and user experience.