New car market enjoys buoyant June
The UK’s new car market grew for the second consecutive month in June, as registrations rose 6.7% to 191,316 units.
This made it the best June since 2019, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Sales in first half of the year are now 3.5% above the first six months of 2024, although they remain 17.9% behind pre-Covid levels.
Fleet activity in June was up 8.5% to 114,841 units while private retail demand grew 5.9% to 71,616 units.
New petrol sales were down by 4.2% and diesel volumes were largely flat, increasing by just 0.2%, accounting for 51.6% of the total market.
Electric vehicles
Meanwhile, electrified vehicle registrations rose to 92,571 units, achieving a 48.5% market share. Pure battery sales jumped 39.1% to 47,354 units, equivalent to 24.8% of the market, plug-in hybrids grew 28.8% to 21,382 units, while new hybrid sales fell by 8.5% to 23,835 registrations.
Across the first six months, electric vehicle registrations have risen 34.6% to 224,841 units to make up 21.6% of the market.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “A second consecutive month of growth for the new car market is good news, as is the positive performance of EVs. That EV growth, however, 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.
“As we have seen in other countries, government incentives can supercharge the market transition, without which the climate change ambitions we all share will be under threat.”
