UK Car Sales Expand On Strong Electric Car Demand: SMMT

(RTTNews) - UK car sales expanded for the second straight month and marked the best June since 2019 with strong growth in battery electric car demand, data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders showed on Friday.

New car market grew 6.7 percent from a year ago to 191,316 units in June. This was the best June since 2019, helping lift first half performance 3.5 percent above the same period last year, the lobby said.

New petrol registrations fell 4.2 percent and diesel volumes gained only 0.2 percent, suggesting that combined share of the market was 51.6 percent.

Total electrified vehicle registrations achieved a 48.5 percent market share.

Registrations of vehicles with plugs rose strongly as battery electric vehicles climbed 39.1 percent, which was equivalent to 24.8 percent of the market. Sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles grew 28.8 percent.

Meanwhile, the market for new hybrid electric vehicles fell 8.5 percent to 23,835 registrations.

Data showed that private retail demand gained 5.9 percent and fleet demand advanced 8.5 percent. On the other hand, business registrations plunged 15.8 percent.

EV growth is still being driven by substantial industry support with manufacturers using every channel and unsustainable discounting to drive activity, yet it remains below mandated levels, SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said.

Hawes observed that government incentives can supercharge the market transition, without which the climate change ambitions will be under threat.