According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK’s auto industry body, new-car registrations in the UK climbed 18 percent year-on-year in March, making it the eighth consecutive month of growth.
The first quarter of 2023 saw 287,825 new-car registrations, the strongest three-month period since 2019, thanks to easing supply chain challenges, reports Auto News Europe. Through March, UK cars sales jumped 18 percent to 494,260.
Full-electric cars also hit an all-time high in March, with sales of 46,626, up 19 percent from the previous month. The total market share for electric vehicles reached 16.2 percent, with gasoline-powered cars remaining the most popular fuel type, rising 17 percent to a 41.4 percent share. Diesel sales dropped 20 percent, accounting for a 3.8 percent market share.
The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling car in the UK last month with 8,123 sales, followed by the gasoline-based Nissan Juke at 7,532 and Nissan Qashqai. Year-to-date, the Model Y now sits fourth in car sales at 9,953. It looks poised to take over the top spot for auto sales in 2023.
While consumer choice has driven the growth in electric vehicles, infrastructure investment must keep up, said SMMT CEO Mike Hawes. “The best month ever for zero-emission vehicles is reflective of increased consumer choice and improved availability but if EV market ambitions – and regulation – are to be met, infrastructure investment must catch up.”
To meet the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, which comes into effect in less than nine months, the industry will require increased investment in public charging infrastructure, according to the SMMT.
Despite the positive news, John Wilmot, CEO of car leasing comparison website LeaseLoco, cautions that the car industry has not yet emerged from the pandemic’s impact, with reported numbers still below pre-COVID levels.
