Produced by Activate Group in collaboration with Gecko Risk.
Charge Up Headlines
• September saw the highest ever number of new electric vehicle registrations in the UK.
• Average EV repair costs continue down by 8.5% year-on-year.
• Key-to-key times match those for conventional vehicles in Q3 2025.
Welcome to the latest edition of the quarterly Charge Up report from Activate Group, the leading UK collision management business, and Gecko Risk, EV data specialists. The report brings regular insights into the state of electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK.
The UK EV sector has seen dynamic shifts in the third quarter of 2025. Consumer confidence continues to strengthen, supported by broader model availability, and government incentives aimed at accelerating electrification.
At the same time, manufacturers are focusing on affordability and efficiency, with several major launches in the sub-£30,000 segment.
This report provides the latest data and insights on registration trends, repair costs, and repair times for EVs, illustrating how the sector continues to evolve and mature.
Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) registrations reached an all-time high in September 2025, with 76,781 new vehicles hitting the road, over 3,000 more than the previous record set in March.
James Fisher, Gecko Risk, explains: “One of the main drivers behind consumers’ growing appetite for BEVs is the increased choice and affordability – there are now 37 brand-new models available for under £30,000, supported by highly attractive salary sacrifice schemes.
“We are also seeing a growing willingness to buy EVs in the used market, with Cinch reporting that used BEVs have outsold used diesel vehicles for the first time ever.” Tesla continues to lead the market, but competition is intensifying
Q3 2025 recorded a fall in average EV repair costs, down 8.5% when compared to the same period last year.
Analysis shows that EV repair costs have consistently declined throughout 2025, bucking the trend seen across the wider vehicle market, where overall repair costs have risen slightly year-on-year.
Among the top five selling EV manufacturers, Tesla continues to have the highest average repair cost, followed by Audi and BMW.
Breaking down the repair costs reveals that parts, labour, and other associated costs have all been falling since 2023, although paint costs have risen modestly over the same period.
Martyn Buchan, Business Development Director at Activate Group, commented: “The fall in EV repair costs is partly due to the changing vehicle mix, with more affordable brands entering the market and lowering the overall average.
“We’re also seeing the results of significant investment in EV repair capability across the industry. As the parts supply chain stabilises and technicians gain more hands-on experience with EV models, repair costs are naturally trending downward.”
Average key-to-key times have seen a sharp improvement this quarter, now averaging 11 days, bringing EV repairs in line with all vehicle types for the first time.
This improvement underlines the increasing competence and confidence of the UK repair network in handling EVs, reflecting the sector’s growing maturity and operational readiness.
Q3 2025 marks a significant milestone for the UK’s electric vehicle landscape. Record sales, falling repair costs, and improved repair turnaround times all signal that the EV market is not only expanding but also stabilising.
The combination of greater affordability, stronger consumer confidence, and enhanced repair infrastructure points to a more sustainable and accessible EV ecosystem for both individual and fleet drivers.
As we look ahead to Q4 and beyond, the focus will increasingly shift toward supporting the next phase of mass adoption, ensuring that affordability, reliability, and repairability continue to evolve hand in hand with innovation.
Activate Group and its subsidiaries provide end-to-end accident management solutions to insurers, fleet providers, TPAs and brokers. The group provides claims management to corporate and commercial fleets through sopp+sopp, operates an approved nationwide repair network for personal lines insurance claims through Motor Repair Network and Avant Repair Network. The business also supplies next-day parts and consumables through Activate Parts, runs its own body shop division, Activate Accident Repair, and manages paint and body programmes on behalf of the UK’s leading vehicle manufacturers through Avant Consult. Activate Group is based in the UK and employs more than 900 people.
Gecko Risk are the UK’s most powerful New Energy Vehicle data platform. Gecko enables the mobility sector to make informed decisions, based on real data, to help their businesses evolve profitably. Their data set includes a complete understanding of the number of vehicles on the road, plus over 1 million rows of accident data (90% of all NEV accidents dated from 2019). All data is updated monthly.