Car sales up for 22nd straight month
The UK new car market recorded growth for the 22nd month in a row in June as registrations rose 1.7% to 147,678 units.
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), this represents the best May performance since 2021 although it remains down 19.6% on 2019.
Fleets and businesses continued to drive growth, up 14% and 9.5% respectively, while private retail uptake declined by 12.9%.
Fuel types
In terms of fuel types, sales of petrol and diesel vehicles both fell, but plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) were up 31.5% to reach an eight per cent market share, and hybrids (HEVs) rose 9.6%, to account for 13.2% of the market.
Pure electrics were also up, rising 6.2% to claim a 17.6% market share. Again, fleets were responsible for growth with a 10.7% uptick compared to a two per cent fall in private EV sales.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said:
“As Britain prepares for next month’s general election, the new car market continues to hold steady as large fleets sustain growth, offsetting weakened private retail demand. Consumers enjoy a plethora of new electric models and some very attractive offers, but manufacturers can’t sustain this scale of support on their own indefinitely. Their success so far should be a signpost for the next government that a faster and fairer transition requires carrots, not just sticks.
