Alternatively-fuelled cars reach record market share

According to November figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), alternatively-fuelled cars reached a record market share against an overall decline in the UK car and van markets.

For the second consecutive month, alternatively-fuelled cars reached a record market share of 10.2% with more than one-in-ten cars joining UK roads either hybrid, plug-in hybrid or pure electric – equivalent to 16,052 cars.

Demand for the latest battery electric cars surged by 228.8%, with 4,652 registered, while the markets for plug-in hybrids and hybrids also rose by 34.8% and 15.0% respectively. Elsewhere, petrol grew 2.0%, taking the lion’s share of all registrations (62.2%), as diesel fell -27.2%.

The UK car market was down -1.3% in November, whilst the UK new van market fell for a third consecutive month, down -9.6% in November.

Most segments experience double digit declines, but pickups bucked the trend, up 17.2%.

Registrations of small vans weighing less than 2.0 tonnes and medium vans weighing 2.0 to 2.5 tonnes fell by -24.0% and -19.4% respectively.

Demand for larger vans weighing 2.5 to 3.5 tonnes also declined, down -11.4%, and the 4×4 segment fell too, down -12.4%. Performance in the year to date is still up, however, rising 1.9%, with an extra 6,451 new LCVs joining UK roads, a total of 338,227 models registered.

More information available on the SMMT website.