Cars

UK new car market declines -15.8% to 119,167 units in April, but battery electric car registrations buck trend, up 40.9%. SMMT revises 2022 outlook down from 1.89m units to 1.72m as parts shortages continue to impact supply. Plug-in cars anticipated…

Average battery range of vehicles at annual SMMT Test Day grows from 74 miles to almost 260 miles during Britain’s first ‘electric decade’. Industry confirms commitment to zero-emission motoring, from hatchbacks to supercars, as more than 40% of models on…

New car registrations decline -14.3% to 243,479 units – the weakest March since 1998, before the UK went to two annual number plate changes – as supply chain shortages constrain deliveries. Best ever month for battery electric vehicles with 78.7%…

58,994 new cars registered during conventionally low volume pre-plate change month. Demand up 15.0% on locked-down 2021 but economic uncertainty and supply challenges keep market -25.9% below pre-pandemic February 2020.

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.

1.65m new cars registered in 2021 – up just 1.0% on pandemic-ravaged 2020 and -28.7% below pre-Covid levels as myriad challenges subdue market.
Plug-in vehicles account for record more than one in six registrations, while battery electric cars alone rise to one-in-nine, with more registered than 2016-2020 combined.
Industry calls for incentive extension and mandated chargepoint targets to accelerate consumer uptake and maintain Britain’s attractiveness against competitor markets.

115,706 new cars registered in November, an increase of 1.7% on lockdown-hit November 2020 and -31.3% below the pre-pandemic five-year average as semiconductor shortages constrain supply.
Plug-in cars represented 28.1% of market in November, with 21,726 battery electric vehicle registrations and 10,796 plug-in hybrids.
SMMT calls for commensurate targets for charging infrastructure rollout, with just one on-street public charger currently installed for every 52 new plug-in cars registered in 2021.

106,265 new cars registered in October, a -24.6% fall on last year and the weakest October since 1991.
Plug-in vehicles now account for 16.6% of all cars registered so far in 2021.
Chip shortages and tax rises mean industry expects to finish year on 1.66m units, or only 1.9% ahead of Covid-hit 2020.

New car registrations fall -34.4% on Covid-hit 2020 to 215,312 units, the weakest September since 1998, before the twice-a-year number plate system was introduced.
Supply issues caused by semiconductor shortages continue to plague industry
Battery electric vehicles charge ahead as 32,721 join the road – the best monthly performance ever.

August new car registrations fall -22.0% in traditionally quiet month pre-plate change.
Demand for battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars surges with PHEVs rising most, up 72.1%.
Market year-to-date up 20.3% against Covid hit 2020, but below pre-pandemic levels as sector still battles Covid-related chip shortages.