By James Stinson
An electric car has topped the best-sellers list in Northern Ireland for the very first time. The Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling car in the region in September, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The landmark moment comes as Northern Ireland’s new car market enjoyed a buoyant September, with registrations rising 22.5% year on year to 5,441. In the first nine months of 2026, 38,136 new cars were registered, up 6% on the same period last year.
Electric breakthrough arrives
Electric cars regularly feature prominently among the UK’s best sellers, but Northern Ireland has historically been slower to make the switch.
September’s figures suggest that picture is changing. The Tesla Model 3 claimed top spot with 242 registrations, narrowly ahead of the Ford Puma on 233 and Nissan Qashqai on 188.
Tesla also put a second model into the top 10. The Model Y recorded 143 registrations to finish sixth.
Tesla’s strong September came on the back of some especially attractive finance offers over the summer, including 0% finance on the Model 3. Those deals will undoubtedly have contributed to the brand’s strong showing in the registration figures.
It is a significant milestone not simply because an electric car has taken the Northern Ireland crown. It also breaks the recent dominance of SUVs at the head of the sales table.
SUVs and crossovers remain the overwhelming presence elsewhere, however. The Puma and Qashqai were joined by the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Ford Kuga and Vauxhall Frontera among September’s 10 most popular cars.
Chinese brands advance
Another notable feature is the growing presence of Chinese manufacturers.
The BYD Sealion 5 plug-in hybrid was Northern Ireland’s fourth best-selling new car in September with 157 registrations, while the MG HS took ninth place with 116.
That gives Chinese-owned brands two places in the top 10 and reflects their increasing presence in the wider UK new car market.
Collectively, the 10 most popular models accounted for 1,573 registrations, or 28.9% of Northern Ireland’s September market.
The wider sales performance is equally striking. A 22.5% monthly increase and 6% year-to-date growth represents an encouraging result against a backdrop of continued economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
UK market accelerates
Northern Ireland was not alone in having a strong September.
Across the UK, new car registrations increased 12% to 350,536, making it the strongest September since 2017 and extending market growth to a tenth consecutive month, according to SMMT.
Private demand rose 13.9% to 149,166 cars, while fleet registrations increased 9.6% to 190,998. Registrations in the smaller business sector were up 37.3% to 10,372.
SMMT attributed much of the overall growth to intense competition, including from new market entrants, greater choice and attractive deals encouraging some customers who might otherwise have bought used to purchase a new car.
Electrification gathers pace
September was particularly noteworthy for electrified cars, which accounted for a record 58.4% of UK registrations.
Battery electric vehicle sales jumped 36.3% to a record 99,201, giving fully electric cars a 28.3% share of September’s market. Plug-in hybrids performed even more strongly, with registrations climbing 55.5% and their market share reaching a record 17%. Conventional hybrids accounted for 13.1%, although registrations in that category fell 4.3%.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, described September’s record EV performance as a “major achievement”, adding: “Drivers are increasingly embracing the growing choice of models made available.”