New car registrations in the UK rose for the first time in seven months in August as battery-electric vehicle uptake continued to grow, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
Registrations were up by 1.2% year on year – the first sign of growth since February – as 68,858 new cars hit the road, but it was also the weakest August performance since 2013, bar 2021.
August is usually a quieter month for car sales due to many drivers waiting for the September numberplate change, but the SMMT said the meagre growth figure was also partly caused by parts shortages and ongoing Covid-19 lockdowns overseas.
The month’s growth was driven largely by BEVs. A total of 10,006 electric cars were sold in August, representing a year-on-year increase of 35.4% and a 14.5% market share. Year to date, BEVs have achieved a volume increase of 48.8%.
Plug-in hybrid registrations, meanwhile, dropped by 23.1% year on year, accounting for 20.2% of the month’s registrations. Diesel uptake continued to fall (-12.3%), but petrol registrations remained positive (+7.5%).
However, with 983,099 cars sold so far in 2022, the total number of registrations is down by 10.7% year on year, and down by 35.3% compared with pre-pandemic 2019.
SMMT boss Mike Hawes called on the new UK prime minister to support car buyers and businesses amid rising energy costs and its ongoing post-pandemic recovery.
“August’s new car market growth is welcome but marginal during a low-volume month. Spiralling energy costs and inflation on top of sustained supply chain challenges are piling even more pressure on the automotive industry’s post-pandemic recovery, and we urgently need the new prime minister to tackle these challenges and restore confidence and sustainable growth,” said Hawes.
“With September traditionally a bumper time for new car uptake, the next month will be the true barometer of industry recovery as it accelerates the transition to zero-emission mobility despite the myriad challenges.”
The Volkswagen Polo topped the monthly car sales rankings for the first time this year, with the German firm selling 1902 units in the UK in August.
Meanwhile, the Vauxhall Corsa retained its place at the top spot of the year's best-sellers, ahead of the Ford Puma and the Nissan Qashqai. The small hatchback, available in petrol, diesel and electric guises, currently stands at 25,941 sales for the year.
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Or maybe sales would improve if manufacturers lowered their prices? Perhaps offering cars with fewer unnecessary features would help? It would also have the added benefit of reducing the number of chips required so allow production to increase.