Japanese car firms at bottom of UK electric sales ranking
The Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) think tank, which conducted the research, said the stakes 'could not be higher' for car companies which do not prioritise the transition to electric motoring.
Honda had the largest decrease for UK EV sales in the first six months of 2025 compared to the same period last year, at 92%.
Mazda recorded the second biggest drop at 76%.
Nissan saw a 69% fall, but the ECIU noted the company is retooling its factory in Sunderland to build three new EV models, which will likely drive significant uptake.
At the other end of the scale, Ford saw the biggest year-on-year increase, with UK EV sales more than four times higher, partly because of the launch of the Ford Puma Gen-E.
The top five also included Renault and Volkswagen, which both saw UK sales of their EVs more than treble.
Colin Walker, head of transport at the ECIU, told the PA news agency: 'Traditional brands are fighting back, dramatically increasing the number of EVs they sell in what is now the world's fourth largest EV market.
'Legacy manufacturers are proving more than capable of making the transition to building the electric cars of the future with European manufacturers dominating.'
A report by consultancy CBI Economics found a failure by the automotive sector to make the transition to manufacturing EVs could see its contribution to the UK economy fall by as much as £34.1 billion, with the loss of more than 400,000 jobs.
Mr Walker said: 'The stakes for car companies the world over, and the car industry here in the UK, could not be higher.'
Ben Nelmes, chief executive of green consultancy New Automotive, which provided the statistics for the ECIU's analysis, said: 'The race to go electric is on and our new data separates the sprinters from the stragglers.
'It is fantastic to see legacy brands like Ford, Renault and the UK's own Mini delivering for drivers with a colossal surge in EV sales.
'The message to the laggards is simple: get on and build the brilliant EVs of the future, or prepare to be left behind.'
The Government has pledged to ban the sale of new fully petrol or diesel cars and vans from 2030.
Sales of hybrid cars will still be permitted until 2035.
Under the Government's zero emission vehicle (Zev) mandate, at least 28% of new cars sold by each manufacturer in the UK this year must be zero emission, which generally means pure electric.
Across all manufacturers, the figure during the first half of the year was 21.6%.
Recent changes to the mandate mean it will be easier for manufacturers who do not meet the targets to avoid fines.
A spokesperson for Mazda said the brand's drop in EV sales was caused by the discontinuation of the Mazda MX-30 BEV (battery electric vehicle), but the fully electric Mazda6e will be introduced in 2026.
He added: 'We will continue to meet the needs of our customers while developing a robust plan for the introduction of multiple EV models beyond 2026 that will give our customers an easy transition into electrified driving.'
Honda and Nissan were approached for a comment.
– Here are the top five car brands based on their increase in UK EV sales in the first half of the year:1. Ford: 324%2. BYD: 261%3. Renault: 251%4. Porsche: 203%5. Volkswagen: 201%
– Here are the bottom five:1. Honda: -92%2. Mazda: -76%3. Nissan: -69%4. Toyota: -41%5. MG: -35%
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