Used-car transactions in Wales reached 106,887 in Q2, SMMT says

Used-car transactions in Wales totalled 106,887 in the second quarter of 2026, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Across the UK, 2,009,318 used vehicles changed hands between April and June, up 0.7% on the same period in 2025, SMMT said. It was the first second quarter since 2021 in which volumes exceeded two million.

Battery-electric used-car transactions rose 67.0% year on year to 110,761, SMMT said, taking a 5.5% share of the quarterly market. Hybrid transactions rose 31.2% to 130,825, while plug-in hybrid transactions fell 6.8% to 22,856.

Petrol remained the largest fuel type, with 1,121,243 transactions, although that was down 1.2%. Diesel transactions fell 7.2% to 620,045. SMMT said petrol and diesel together accounted for 86.7% of used-car demand in the quarter.

For buyers and sellers in Wales, the regional figure sits within a UK market in which electric used cars are becoming a larger part of the available stock, while conventionally fuelled cars still make up most transactions.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said the used market was where most people buy their cars and called for an affordable and accessible transition. That is the trade body's view.