New-car registrations in the UK rose for the eighth consecutive month in March, recording 18 percent growth from a year earlier, and also marked the best month ever for full-electric car sales, the UK's auto industry body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said
New-car registrations jumped to 287,825 units as supply chain challenges continued to ease, making the first quarter of 2023 the strongest three-month period since 2019, the SMMT said in a statement on Wednesday.
Sales of full-electric cars rose 19 percent to a record monthly high of 46,626, representing a market share of 16.2 percent, while gasoline-powered vehicles remained the most popular fuel type, rising 17 percent to a 41.4 percent share. Diesel sales fell 20 percent for a 3.8 percent market share.
"The best month ever for zero-emission vehicles is reflective of increased consumer choice and improved availability but if EV market ambitions – and regulation – are to be met, infrastructure investment must catch up," SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said in the statement.
An EV, the Tesla Model Y, was the best selling car in the UK last month, followed by the Nissan Juke and the Nissan Qashqai.
The industry body said increased investment in public charging infrastructure is key for the success of the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, which is due to be enforced in less than nine months.
John Wilmot, CEO of car leasing comparison website LeaseLoco, said in a note that it would be foolhardy to declare the car industry is out of the woods just yet, as current reported numbers were still well below pre-COVID levels.
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Through March, UK sales rose 18 percent to 494,260.
