Strong business demand helped the UK car market continue its recovery, with fleet sales accounting for more than half of the 156,737 new cars registered in May, but demand for vehicles was still down from the same period in 2019.
Last month’s 156,737 registrations marked a 674.1% increase from last May, when dealerships were closed due to the first lockdown and only a handful of sales were recorded. The strong recovery came with showrooms now open after the most recent lockdown, but total sales were still down 14.7% from May 2019 – and it was 13.2% lower than average May sales over the past decade.
Of these orders, 79,435 vehicles went to fleet buyers, representing 50.7% of the total. Fleet sales now represent 53.7% of the 723,845 cars registered in the UK so far in 2021.
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 8.4% of all new car sales in May, with 13,120 registrations. That was down from 12.0% in May 2019, when the figure was increased by electric vehicle companies such as Tesla pursuing contactless deliveries. In the first five months of 2021, the 54,051 BEVs sold represent 7.5% of the market, compared to 4.3% in 2020.
SMMT boss Mike Hawes said, “With dealers returning and a brighter, sunnier economic outlook, May’s listings are as good as one might reasonably expect. Increased business confidence is driving the recovery, which must be sustained and reflected in private consumer demand as the economy emerges from pandemic support measures. “
Gasoline-powered cars have remained the most popular choice, with pure ICE or mild hybrid examples accounting for 60.4% of registrations so far this year, up from 64.7% in 2021. Diesel continued to decline , with pure and light hybrid vehicles. versions accounting for 18.0% of sales, up from 22.4% in the first five months of 2020.
The Volkswagen Golf was the most popular car among buyers in May, with 4,181 sales. The Vauxhall Corsa finished second for the month, with 3,643 registrations, which means it remains the most popular car in the UK so far this year.
The British firm sold 20,024 copies of the supermini in the first five months of 2021, a far cry from the Ford Fiesta (17,700 registrations), the Mercedes-Benz A-Class (16,752) and the Golf (14,979 ).
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-06-04 09:25:15
