New car sales dip despite EV growth – SMMT
New car sales fell by 1.6% in November to 151,154 units, according to latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Sales to private buyers dropped by 5.5%, while fleet uptake edged up by 0.2%.
Meanwhile, electric vehicles accounted for 26.4% of the market, which is only a modest increase on the 25.1% achieved in November 2024, while hybrid electric vehicle uptake rose by 1.3% to comprise 13.1% of the market and plug-in hybrids were up 14.8% to 11.9% of all sales.
Year-to-date, electrified vehicles have achieved a record market share for the year of 51.4%, with 426,209 new models joining the road in the last 11 months. Pure electrics have made up 22.7% of all sales, which is significantly short of the 28% annual government target.
Weak growth
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Even in a fragile market, zero emission vehicle uptake continues to rise, which is exactly what we need. But the weakest growth for almost two years – ahead of government announcing a new tax on EVs – should be seen as a wake-up call that sustained increase in demand for EVs cannot be taken for granted.
“We should be taking every opportunity to encourage drivers to make the switch, not punishing them for doing so, else the ambitions of government and industry will be thwarted.”
