SMMT News

Automotive industry publishes new seven-point plan putting consumers at the heart of EV infrastructure planning and delivery to secure UK’s zero-emission future.

UK used car transactions grow 11.5% in 2021 with 7,530,956 units changing hands.
Weaker Q4, down -3.1%, contrasts with record Q2 to round off a volatile year.
Record demand for used battery electric vehicles, up 119.2% with 40,228 transactions.
Overall used car market still down -5.5% on pre-pandemic five-year average.

New light commercial vehicle (LCV) market falls by -26.9% in January to 17,566 units, compared with a bumper January last year. Demand for battery electric vehicles bucks trend with 21.4% rise. Market outlook forecasts 2.0% growth of sector for 2022,…

115,087 new cars registered as 2022 kicks off, 27.5% up on January 2021 when lockdown restrictions kept showrooms shut.
One in five buyers goes electric, while new analysis reveals average new car CO2 reached record low, down -11.2% in 2021.
New industry outlook puts 2022 market on course for 1.897m units – up 15.2% on 2021 but down -17.9% on pre-Covid 2019.

Grey is the UK’s most popular new car colour for fourth consecutive year, followed by black and white to complete the monochrome set. Blue edges closer to top three but appetite for niche paints gold, yellow, turquoise and green grow…

SMMT released figures for December pre-registrations in the UK new car market. The data shows the number of cars disposed of by vehicle manufacturers in December 2021 that were defined as pre-registrations. Download the December 2021 release

UK engine manufacturing down -10.8% in 2021 to just over 1.6 million units. Production for domestic and overseas markets falls -3.6% and -15.4%, respectively. December output tumbles by more than a quarter to round off another tough year for sector.…

British commercial vehicle production rises 11.3% to 73,600 units, but remains -14.4% down on pre-pandemic five-year average.

UK car production in 2021 fell -6.7% to only 859,575 units, according to figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the worst total since 1956. Output was 61,353 less than 2020, which itself was badly affected by coronavirus lockdowns, and -34.0% below pre-pandemic 2019.