Sales tick up for 21st straight month

Car sales edged up by one per cent in April to 134,274 units, completing 21 consecutive months of growth.

According to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), sales to fleets surged by 18.5% but private buyer uptake fell by 17.7%.

Meanwhile, EV sales remained strong with plug-in hybrids up 22.1% to 7.8% of the total market and BEVs increasing by 10.7% to a 16.9% market share.

SMMT figures also revealed that demand for new light commercial vehicles rose 5.4% to 23,889 units.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “The new car market continues to grow even in the quieter months, driven primarily by fleet demand. This is particularly true of the electric vehicle sector, where the absence of government incentives for private buyers is having a marked effect. Although attractive deals on EVs are in place, manufacturers cannot fund the mass market transition single-handedly. Temporarily cutting VAT, treating EVs as fiscally mainstream not luxury vehicles, and taking steps to instil consumer confidence in the chargepoint network will drive the market growth on which Britain’s net zero ambition depends.”