The vehicle mix on U.K. roads also continued to evolve. Hybrid vehicles accounted for 46% of new private car registrations in H1 2026, while fully electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for a further 24%. Together, they represented 70% of new private cars registered during the period.
Key findings from H1 2026:
U.K. motor insurance shopping reached record levels in H1 2026, with 403,000 consumers shopping each day on average — about 31,000 more per day than in H1 2025.
Around 22% of policyholders switched insurance providers in H1 2026.
Switching behaviour varied by policyholder location. Manchester-based policyholders switched insurance providers at an average rate of 23%, compared with 21% of policyholders living in London, although the gap between the two cities is narrowing.
Hybrid vehicles accounted for 46% of new private car registrations in H1 2026, and EVs accounted for 24%, meaning fully or partially electrified vehicles represented 70% of all new private car registrations.
Internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles accounted for 30% of all new private car registrations, however, their registrations fell 9% year on year and fell 30% compared with H1 2022.
U.K. motor insurance shopping increased in the first half of 2026 as motor premiums began to rise again. According to the Association of British Insurers, the average motor premium paid in the second quarter of 2026 was £566, up 1% from the previous quarter, while insurance providers paid a record £3.2 billion in motor claims during the same period[i]. Alongside continuing cost-of-living pressures[ii] and wider economic uncertainty[iii], these premium increases are likely prompting more households to shop around at renewal in search of better value.
The gap between shopping and switching suggests that although consumers are increasingly price-conscious, insurance providers have been able to retain customers effectively in a competitive market. Whether record shopping activity translates into higher switching levels in H2 2026 will depend on how pricing and competitive conditions evolve. A rise in switching recorded in June 2026 nationally, including policyholders living in London and Manchester, will therefore be an important trend to monitor.
The shift toward hybrid and electric vehicles adds another layer of complexity for U.K. insurance providers. Hybrid registrations overtook ICE in late 2024 and have held the lead since, suggesting many drivers are looking to reduce emissions without fully committing to an EV. With fuel costs remaining elevated[iv] and incentives available to move to electric vehicles[v], this trend is expected to continue — meaning a growing share of the vehicles entering motor insurers’ portfolios will bring different repair, technology and risk characteristics than the ICE vehicles they replace.
Tom Clarke, U.K. and Ireland motor strategy director, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, said: “Record shopping levels show that U.K. motorists are increasingly prepared to shop around at renewal in search of better value. This only further highlights how important getting pricing right at the point of quote is.
“Retention has held up well so far, but if price differences between providers become more pronounced, we could see greater movement in the market in the second half of the year.
“At the same time, the vehicles being insured are changing quickly. With 70% of new private cars now hybrid or fully electric, insurance providers need accurate, vehicle-level data on powertrain, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and repairability to understand the risk they are pricing and to help ensure customers get the right outcome when they make a claim.”
The LexisNexis® Insurance Demand Meter U.K. for H1 2026
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