However, September was the best month ever for new battery electric vehicle (BEV) uptake. With a market share of 15.2%, 32,721 BEVs joined the road in the month, reflecting the wide range of models now available and growing consumer appetite. The September performance was just over 5,000 shy of the total number registered during the whole of 2019.
According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 68,033 units were registered, the weakest since August 2013, and down 7.6% against the average recorded over the last decade, due in part to constrained supply as the global shortage of semiconductors, an issue born of the pandemic, continues to undermine production volumes.
Compared to the near standstill of the economy last year, the used car market saw the biggest growth in April, up 307.4% on 2020 with 724,743 transactions in the month, and up 5.0% on pre-pandemic 2019. All months in Q2 saw significant growth, with May and June up 9.9% and 4.6% on 2019 respectively, the best performance for both months on record.
Total registrations for Q2 2021 fell short of industry expectations by around 9,000 units partly as the ongoing global semiconductor shortage acted as a limiting factor on supply. As a result, overall registrations for the first half of the year are down -26.8%.
Against a more positive economic backdrop – including OECD forecasting a 7.2% increase in UK GDP during 2021 – fleet registrations grew more than twice as fast as private purchases in May. Large fleets accounted for 50.7% of all new vehicles hitting the road, demonstrating improving business confidence compared to the same month last year.
The latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed that this year’s monthly total dwarfed that recorded in April 2020, when the first national lockdown effectively shut the country, and just 4,321 cars were registered.
Best-practice guidance covers the entire customer experience, from booking appointments to showroom interactions, test drives, “click and collect”, part exchanges and aftersales, and includes advice on staff training, signage, sanitation and protective personal equipment (PPE).
Compared with the 2010-2019 March average of 450,189, registrations were down -36.9%, with 283,964 units registered. So far, 2021 has seen 58,032 fewer cars registered compared to January to March last year, equivalent to a loss of £1.8 billion in turnover during the first quarter.
According to The Times newspaper, the grant will be cut from £3,000 to £2,500 because the increasing popularity of EVs makes the scheme unsustainable. The upper price limit for models benefitting from the grant will be reduced from £50,000 to £35,000, the report added.
Latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that the industry recorded its lowest February uptake since 1959, with 51,312 new cars registered.
