UK new car registrations rose sharply in April - SMMT

According to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), April saw an artificial 30-fold increase of new car registrations compared to the same month last year, but volumes still remained -12.9% lower than the 10-year average at just 141,583 new units. This year’s monthly total dwarfed that recorded in April 2020, when the first national lockdown effectively shut the country, and just 4,321 cars were registered.

Retail demand saw the most significant recovery, rising from just 871 registrations last April to 61,935. Click and collect supported the market for the first week and a half until dealerships could reopen on 12 April – a marked contrast from the same month last year, where Covid restrictions effectively prevented private purchases. However, April 2021’s consumer registrations were still -14.5% down on the 10 year average.

Total plug-in vehicle market share broadly followed the trend seen in recent months, accounting for just over one in eight vehicles, or 13.2%. Unusually, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), at 6.8% of the market, were more popular than battery electric vehicles (BEVs) at 6.5%, following cuts to the Plug-in Car Grant. Monthly BEV uptake was down compared with Q1 2021 overall, however, as they had been running at 7.5% of total registrations.