FX.co ★ UK Car Registrations Rise 1.0% In April

New car sales in the UK have been on an upward trajectory for the twenty-first month in a row, recording the strongest performance since 2021 this April, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT).

April saw a 1.0 percent increase in new car registrations, with a total of 134,274 units. Despite this, the numbers remain 16.6 percent lower than the levels reported before the onset of the pandemic.

Fleet registrations were the primary contributor to this growth, marking an increase of 18.5 percent to 81,207 units, maintaining the trend over the past year, as reported by SMMT.

Conversely, the number of individual customers decreased by 17.7 percent to 50,458 units, and business registrations declined by 16.1 percent, to a count of 2,609.

Electric cars continue to fuel the market growth. The uptake of battery electric vehicles rose by 10.7 percent, representing a market share of 16.9 percent.

SMMT Chief Executive, Mike Hawes, noted, "Though attractive deals on electric vehicles (EVs) exist, the burden of funding the transition to a mass market cannot rest solely on manufacturers. Temporary VAT reductions, viewing EVs as mainstream rather than luxury vehicles, and efforts to boost consumer confidence in the charging infrastructure, will encourage market growth which is crucial to achieve Britain’s net zero emissions goal."