New car registrations in Britain fell slightly in August, industry data showed on Thursday, in line with expectations of a traditionally quieter month.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said new car registrations fell about 1.3% year-on-year to 84,575 units in August as many buyers prefer to wait until September’s new number plate.
Demand for battery electric vehicles (BEV) in the month rose 10.8% as buyers took advantage of summer discounts.
SMMT expects the BEV market share to rise to 18.5% from its current 17.2% by the end of the year with a forecast of about 364,000 BEV registrations in 2024.
“Encouraging a mass market shift to EVs remains a challenge, however, and urgent action must be taken to help buyers overcome affordability issues and concerns about chargepoint provision,” SMMT chief Mike Hawes said in a statement.
Fleet purchases drove the market, accounting for six in 10 cars registered last month despite a 1.2% drop compared with the same month last year.
“We expect September to be a better indicator of where the market stands with the new registration plates set to be introduced and a number of attractive incentives and discounts likely to be offered,” Jamie Hamilton, automotive partner and head of electric vehicles at Deloitte, said.
(Source: ReutersReuters)
