August Sees a Continued Dip for New Car Market

“August’s new car market figures have declined, with a dip of -2.0%” said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK commenting on the latest SMMT new car registration figures.

In August, a total of 82,908 new cars were registered, a decrease of -2.0% from the same period last year. Sales to private buyers slightly increased by 0.7%% whilst fleet registrations were down by -4.6%.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) continue to grow and registered a 14.9% change at 21,969 units. Plug-in hybrid (PHEVs) registrations are at 69.4%, 9,803 units and hybrids (HEVs) registered 9,456 units (-13.9%).

Diesel saw 4,307 units registered (-16.6%) compared to 5,165 in August 2024 whereas petrol saw a drop from 43,534 units to 37,373 units (-14.2%).

Sue Robinson concluded: “Looking ahead, we are likely to see continued pressure on the new vehicle market, due to weak economic growth. We expect electric vehicles sales to continue to increase, however they remain someway off the ZEV Mandate targets for 2025. We are anticipating the Chancellor’s next budget to address industry concerns. Looking ahead, franchised dealers have prepared for the important plate change month of September, helping UK consumers find a new model of vehicle.”