March 29, 2024

New automobile gross sales completed the 12 months on the next word, because of sturdy fleet registrations. For client new automobile gross sales, it used to be a fairly deficient month – albeit with a couple of vivid spots.

In step with the December and full-year information printed this morning through the Society of Motor Producers and Investors (SMMT), non-public new automobile gross sales have been down 7% at the similar month ultimate 12 months. This can be a continuation of an general gross sales slowdown for client new automobile gross sales during the last six months.

By way of comparability, fleet registrations have been up 43% in comparison to ultimate December, proceeding an overly sturdy efficiency during the last part of the 12 months.

Taking a look on the complete 12 months’s effects, the entire marketplace ended up down fairly on ultimate 12 months at simply over 1.6 million vehicles registered. Moderately strangely, the yearly numbers were beautiful flat for the ultimate 3 years in spite of wild fluctations on a nearly per 30 days foundation because the Covid pandemic begain in early 2020.

Supply: SMMT

Tesla once more skews EV information with every other large month

A few months in the past, a number of media analysts have been moaning that electrical automobile gross sales had ‘stalled’ and steered there used to be a disaster brewing after a fairly deficient month in October. These days’s information displays EV gross sales at an all-time prime in December and a listing marketplace proportion of one-in-three new vehicles. In truth, each the peaks and troughs are deceptive because of the truth that the United Kingdom’s greatest EV emblem, Tesla, operates utterly in a different way from each different automobile corporate.

Tesla registered greater than 16,000 new vehicles in December, which made it very easily the best-selling automobile emblem for the month. But in October, it handiest registered 11 vehicles. No, that’s now not a typo. This huge fluctuation from the EV marketplace chief signifies that EV marketplace proportion swings wildly on a month-by-month foundation.

Taking a look on the 2022 full-year effects, it used to be a listing 12 months for brand spanking new EV gross sales. Electrical automobiles made up 17% of the brand new automobile marketplace, up from 12% in 2021 and seven% in 2020. Plug-in hybrid gross sales have slid backwards in comparison to 2021, as we’ve been reporting all 12 months, with consumers showing to have deserted the halfway-house thought in favour of both switching to a fully-electric automobile or sticking with a petroleum one.

Diesel now makes up lower than 10% of the brand new automobile marketplace – and could be even much less if there have been higher choices to be had for enormous posh SUVs – whilst petrol remains to be the biggest gas supply however fairly down on ultimate 12 months.

Supply: SMMT

Just right month, unhealthy month

As discussed, Tesla crowned the charts in December in spite of handiest having two fashions to be had. Volkswagen used to be 2nd for December however ended up on most sensible for the entire 12 months, whilst BMW beat Audi to 3rd position in December however the positions have been reversed for the entire 12 months.

Relative to the entire marketplace’s outcome for December, it used to be a excellent month for Alpine, BMW, Cupra, Ford, Genesis, Jeep, Lexus, Mazda, MG, Polestar, Porsche, Renault, SEAT, Tesla and Volkswagen. All of those manufacturers outperformed the entire marketplace through no less than 10%.

In the meantime, issues weren’t so rosy for Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Citroën, Dacia, DS Cars, Fiat, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Peugeot, Sensible, SsangYong, Subaru and Vauxhall. All of those manufacturers underperformed towards the entire marketplace through no less than 10%.

Large month for Tesla however Nissan Qashqai takes the crown

As with ultimate 12 months, Tesla crowned the charts within the ultimate month of the 12 months with a record-breaking month for the Fashion Y – greater than 10,000 registrations in one month is unparalleled – whilst the Fashion 3 used to be runner-up.

For the entire 12 months, regardless that, the Nissan Qashqai has taken the crown as the United Kingdom’s best-selling new automobile. It’s the primary time since 1998, some 24 years in the past, {that a} British-built automobile has been the rustic’s hottest new car.

In an advantage for each Nissan and its Sunderland personnel, the Leaf electrical car additionally made a stunning look within the most sensible ten for December.

The Vauxhall Corsa clung directly to 2nd position within the 2022 gross sales race, in spite of tanking in the previous few months as Vauxhall possibly struggled with provide issues, to edge out the Tesla Fashion Y which bought virtually a 3rd of its annual automobiles in December by myself!

Small automobiles had a excellent lead to December, with the Mini hatch, Toyota Yaris and Ford Fiesta all that includes within the most sensible ten, whilst smallish SUVs just like the Volvo XC40 and Ford Puma additionally did smartly.

Supply: SMMT

We’ll have a complete round-up of the United Kingdom’s best-selling vehicles in coming days, in addition to a extra detailed research of the 2022 effects for every emblem.