UK motorists are favouring electrified cars when they search for leasing deals, according to new market data. 

Lease comparison website Leasing.com reports that battery-electric and hybrid models made up nearly two-thirds (63.3 percent) of all recent enquiries. 

Fully electric cars accounted for 41.6 percent of searches made between May and July 2026, with hybrid models claiming 21.7 percent. 

Compared to the same period in 2024, enquiries for electric and hybrid vehicles have almost doubled, according to Leasing.com’s search ranking data. 

In addition, the website has seen a dramatic increase in interest around new-entrant Chinese car manufacturers, as the number of such vehicles continues to grow.

Despite the popularity of Chinese-made models, the Vauxhall Frontera (see top image) emerged as the most enquired-about EV on Leasing.com between May and July 2026.

The electric SUV accounted for 12.3 percent of all EV searches during this period, followed by the sporty Abarth 600e SUV with 6.0 percent and the BYD Seal on 5.1 percent. 

When it came to hybrid models, the Jaecoo 7 SUV (pictured above) topped the list. It made up 10.2 percent of all hybrid-related queries from May to July, helping its parent company to achieve its first 100,000 UK sales. 

Following the Jaecoo 7 in the hybrid charts were the Hyundai Santa Fe (7.2 percent) and BYD Sealion 5 (6.2 percent).

The UK’s hottest summer on record has clearly captured the imagination of those searching for new cars, with Leasing.com seeing an remarkable 397 percent jump in enquiries for open-top sports cars. 

However, this also highlights the lack of convertibles in the mainstream car market, with just five models accounting for more than 90 percent of enquiries. 

As ever, the answer to any question is always the Mazda MX-5, which took a 42.2 percent share of the convertible queries. Following behind were the Abarth 500 and electric MG Cyberster. 

Mike Fazal, CEO of Leasing.com, commented: “Four in ten leasing enquiries are now for fully electric cars, while more than 63 percent 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.”

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