New car registrations fell -10.4% in April to 120,331 units, the sixth fall in the last seven months.
The ongoing decline reflected a “fragile economic backdrop and weakened consumer confidence” according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which released the data. Registrations were 25.3% lower than pre-pandemic April 2019.1
Volumes were impacted by the late Easter with fewer working todays. Sales were also pulled forward into March by new VED changes and the introduction of the the Expensive Car Supplement which became applicable to many new EVs from 1 April.
Registrations fell across all sales types, with private, fleet and business demand down -7.9%, -11.9% and -10.9% respectively.
Continuing market trends, fleet buyers drove activity, responsible for six in 10 registrations. In terms of powertrain performance, demand for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) fell -2.9%, with petrol and diesel registrations down –22.0% and –26.2% respectively. Conversely, registrations of vehicles with a plug rose: plug-in hybrids (PHEV) up 34.1% and battery electric vehicles (BEV) increasing 8.1% to 24,558 units, taking more than a fifth (20.4%) of the market.
Year-to-date the new car market is up 3.1% and, with new BEV registrations up 35.2% to push market share to 20.7%, these models are now the second most popular powertrain after petrol but still below the 28% required under market regulations.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “April’s performance is disappointing but expected after March’s surge.
“Another month of growth for electric vehicle registrations is good news, however, even if demand remains well below ambition.
“Recent government adjustments to flexibilities and compliance within the ZEV Mandate are welcome and an important first step in relieving some of the pressure on the market and manufacturers.
“However, EV uptake is still being heavily and unsustainably subsidised by the industry which is why a compelling package of measures from government is essential if consumers are going to make the switch.”