Britain's new-car registrations fell 9 percent in July, as a persistent supply shortage of components due to China's COVID-19 restrictions and the war in Ukraine hit deliveries.
Registrations fell to 112,162 units, driven largely by a slump in registrations by large fleets, while consumer sales remained steady, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said on Thursday.
The market is unlikely to recover from the significant losses sustained from chip shortages and disruptions to output even as the sector expects the second half to improve as supply issues start to recede.
The SMMT lowered its 2022 outlook for registrations to 1.6 million from a prior forecast of 1.72 million.
The SMMT said battery-electric-vehicle uptake grew nearly 10 percent to 12,243 units in July, resulting in a 10.9 percent market share for July, but it was the weakest monthly growth since the pandemic.
