“2022 was an irregular year for new car registrations with the market impacted by wide ranging factors from supply constraints, driven by continued lockdowns and the war in Ukraine, to the cost-of-living crisis impacting demand in the UK”, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK commenting on the latest SMMT’s new passenger car registration figures.
In 2022 as a whole, a total of 1,614,063 new cars were registered, a decrease of -2% from the previous year.
In December, a total of 128,462 new cars were registered, an increase of 18.3% from the same period last year. Sales to private buyers fell by -7.4%; fleet registrations improved significantly by 42.9%.
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) experienced impressive growth, up 52.6% to 42,284 units. Plug-in hybrid (PHEVs) registrations grew by 0.4% to 8,367 units, whilst hybrids (HEVs) increased by 58.1% to 13,743 units. There are now 267,203 registered BEVs on the road in 2022 compared to the 190,727 at the same point last year, a 40.1% increase.
With sales of electric growing, diesel fell from 5,201 units to 4,006 (-23%), but petrol has risen marginally from 42,048 units to 42,091 units (-0.1%).
Sue Robinson added: “Looking ahead, NFDA and its members remain cautiously optimistic. Franchised dealers are well placed to enable the UK’s transition to electric vehicles through schemes such as Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA), which are in place to ensure consumers receive the correct support in their switch to electric.
“In addition, personal transport remains a key driver of UK new vehicle sales, consumers still regard cars a necessity for both personal mobility needs and travelling to work. We look forward to 2023 as our members continue to help consumers find the right vehicle for their needs.”
*Article Source www.rmif.co.uk
