Thursday, 18 April 2024
March was the 20th consecutive month of growth in the UK's new car market, new figures have revealed, and the best such month since 2019.
That's according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which reveals that 317,786 new cars were sold in total in March – a year-on-year increase of 10.4%.
Cars powered by petrol took the lion's share of sales, representing 55.7% of the market, but sales of electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars were all significantly up.
Combined, sales of such cars represented 36.9% of March's total sales – meaning more than a third of new cars sold last month were significantly electrified. Sales of diesel cars, meanwhile, represented just 7.3% of the total.
March has historically been a very busy time for new car sales, with buyers looking to capitalise on the new-issue numberplate. However, the majority of sales last month actually came from businesses andcompany car fleets, with sales to private buyers making up just 40.4% of the total.
