Growth in the sales of hybrid, plug-in-hybrid and battery-electric models over the past month meant the UK’s new car market continued its upward trend, despite a slump in uptake from private buyers. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders , a total of 134,274 new cars were delivered during April, a 1.0% increase compared with a year ago. This marked the sector's 21st consecutive month of growth, following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Petrol cars remained the dominant market force in April, with 74,877 sales. This is, however, down by 3.1% on the 77,275 recorded in April 2023. Meanwhile, sales of traditional hybrids , plug-in hybrids and battery-electric cars all rose. BEVs were the next most popular choice with 22,717 sales, up 10.7% year-on-year. They were followed by HEVs at 17,538 units and then PHEVs with 10,493 sales .