LONDON (dpa-AFX) - UK car sales grew sharply in March from a year ago, marking its first increase in six months, data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders, or SMMT, showed Friday.
Car registrations grew by 12.4 percent to 357,103 units in March, up from 317,786 units in the corresponding month last year.
'This growth, in the most important month of the year for the new car market, builds on the March 2024 performance, where uptake rose by 10.4 percent,' the SMMT said.
Sales of battery electric cars rose to the highest ever volume of 69,313 units in March. Nonetheless, the current market share of 19.4 percent is still below the target set by the zero-emission vehicle mandate.
All types of electrified vehicles recorded growth in the month, with hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and battery electric vehicles, which logged a massive growth of 43.2 percent. As a result, March became the largest month ever for registrations of electric cars.
There was an 11.5 percent upturn in fleet registration, while business buyers were 0.3 percent lower compared to last year. Private buyer uptake surged 14.5 percent, recovering sharply from the previous year's lackluster performance.
'Manufacturers remain committed to the market decarbonization the country and the environment demand, but we need sustained growth, not a short-term bubble driven by unsustainable manufacturer discounting and drivers rushing to beat a tax hike,' Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said.
The industry maintains a call for accelerated regulatory review and government incentives to raise demand to the required level.
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