Electric and hybrid cars now account for nearly two-thirds of all UK leasing enquiries, with the Vauxhall Frontera crowned the nation’s most sought-after EV, according to new figures from Leasing.com.
Fully electric models drew 41.6% of enquiries on the comparison site between May and July, up from 33.7% over the same period last year, while hybrid interest climbed from 18.0% to 21.7%. Together, electrified cars took a 63.3% share of summer enquiries, up from 36.9% in 2024, and the Frontera saw off newcomers from BYD, Leapmotor and Kia to claim top spot.
The Frontera Electric, which opened for UK orders in January 2025 before reaching British roads later that year, accounted for 12.3% of all EV enquiries. That puts Vauxhall’s keenly priced crossover comfortably clear of the Abarth 600 (6.0%) and BYD Seal (5.1%), and ahead of several models that featured prominently in last year’s rankings.
Indeed, the summer’s top 10 shows a dramatic shake-up. Only the Leapmotor C10 survives from last year’s top five, slipping from third to fourth, while the Ford Puma, Polestar 4, Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4 have all dropped out of the top 10 altogether. In their place, Chinese brands BYD, Leapmotor and Jaecoo now go head to head with established European names.
On the hybrid side, the Jaecoo 7 led the way with 10.2% of enquiries. Little surprise, perhaps, given the Chinese SUV was named Car of the Year at the Leasing.com Car of the Year Awards last year, when it ranked second overall for enquiries behind the evergreen Nissan Qashqai. The Hyundai Santa Fe (7.2%) and BYD Sealion 5 (6.2%) completed the hybrid podium.
Top 10 electric and hybrid models on Leasing.com (May-July 2026)
| Position | EV model | EV share | Hybrid model | Hybrid share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vauxhall Frontera | 12.3% | Jaecoo 7 | 10.2% |
| 2 | Abarth 600 | 6.0% | Hyundai Santa Fe | 7.2% |
| 3 | BYD Seal | 5.1% | BYD Sealion 5 | 6.2% |
| 4 | Leapmotor C10 | 4.7% | Kia Sportage | 5.2% |
| 5 | Kia PV5 | 4.7% | Geely Starray | 4.3% |
| 6 | BYD Sealion 7 | 3.4% | Hyundai Tucson | 4.3% |
| 7 | Ford Explorer | 3.2% | Omoda 5 | 3.9% |
| 8 | Leapmotor B10 | 3.1% | MG3 | 3.8% |
| 9 | Volkswagen ID. Buzz | 3.1% | Hyundai Kona | 3.7% |
| 10 | Jaecoo 5 | 2.8% | MG ZS | 3.5% |
Sunshine exposes the electric drop-top gap
The summer heat also sent convertible enquiries up by a remarkable 397% year on year, but sun-seeking EV drivers found themselves with almost nowhere to go. The petrol Mazda MX-5 hoovered up 42% of soft-top searches and the Abarth 500 took 32%, leaving the MG Cyberster as the only electric roadster to register, with 10.1%.
Mike Fazal, CEO and motoring expert at Leasing.com, said: “Four in ten leasing enquiries are now for fully electric cars, while more than 63% are for electric or hybrid models. That shows just how quickly interest in electrified vehicles is growing.
“Our summer data also highlights a clear gap in the market. Convertible searches quadrupled, yet with the Mazda MX-5 and Abarth 500 accounting for nearly three-quarters of enquiries, affordable electric convertibles remain largely unavailable to buyers.
“The BYD Seal is an interesting example. It was the only saloon to feature in our top 10 EVs this summer, showing that there is still strong interest in sleek car designs alongside the growing number of electric SUVs and crossovers. With convertible searches also rising sharply, there is an opportunity for manufacturers to offer these sleek electric models in new convertible variants and give drivers greater choice.”
The leasing figures chime with the wider new car market, where SMMT registration data shows electric cars taking an ever-larger share of UK sales, and follow Vauxhall’s launch of a longer-range Frontera Electric aimed at keeping its newfound favourite ahead of the chasing pack.
