The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published its latest set of data showing marginal growth in the UK’s new car market, which was up 1.4% in February following five straight months of decline.
81,969 new cars were registered on UK roads in February, representing a year-on-year uplift of 1,164 units.
Demand for alternatively fuelled vehicles continued to surge, up 34% and marking the 22nd consecutive month of growth for the segment as new and existing cutting-edge models attracted buyers into showrooms.
Registrations of zero-emission electric cars enjoyed particular growth, more than doubling to 731 units, although they still accounted for less than 1% of the market (0.9%).
Meanwhile, in the four months since the October 2018 reform to the Plug-in Car Grant, the market for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) has only grown by 1.7%, compared with 29.5% over the first 10 months of 2018.1 This suggests that removing the incentive for PHEVs is having an adverse effect.
