UK Car Sales Register Double Digit Growth: SMMT

RTTNews | 1259 days ago
UK Car Sales Register Double Digit Growth: SMMT

(RTTNews) - UK new car registrations increased for the eighth straight month in March to deliver the best 'new plate month' performance since the pandemic, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders or SMMT, said Wednesday.

New car sales advanced 18.2 percent from the last year as supply chain challenges continued to ease. Sales totaled 287,825 units.

Consequently, the first quarter of 2023 was the strongest since 2019. Registrations increased across all sales types in March. Large fleets were the predominant driver of March's growth, with registrations rising 40,651 units. Now large fleets shared 48.6 percent of the total market.

Deliveries to private buyers moved up 1.4 percent and those to businesses with fleets of fewer than 25 vehicles were up 26.0 percent.

Further, data showed that petrol-powered vehicles were the most popular fuel type, comprising 56.3 percent of new units. At the same time, battery electric vehicle deliveries reached a record monthly high of 46,626, up 18.6 percent from the last year.

"March's new plate month usually sets the tone for the year so this performance will give the industry and consumers greater confidence," SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said.

With eight consecutive months of expansion, the automotive industry is recovering, bucking wider trends and supporting economic growth, Hawes noted.

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