New car registrations in Wales shot up 23.8% despite the atrocious July weather, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
It was the same rise as in Northern Ireland but slightly trailed the growth in England of 29.5% and was ahead of Scotland’s 21.6%.
New car sales in Wales reached 4,955 registrations last month and the UK totalled 143,561. So far this year, Welsh dealers have seen a 15.6% rise in business.
| Wales top ten:
Ford Puma Toyota Aygo X Vauxhall Mokka Nissan Qashqai Ford Fiesta Ford Kuga Kia Sportage Kia Picanto Audi A3 Nissan Juke |
UK top ten:
Ford Puma Kia Sportage Nissan Qashqai Vauxhall Mokka Hyundai Tucson Vauxhall Corsa Ford Kuga Audi A3 Toyota Aygo X Tesla Model Y |
Overall it was the best July performance since 2020 but the overall market year to date still lags the pre-pandemic levels.
Private sales were stable and the increase came from large fleets and business users, suggesting discounts and incentives were offered to shift stock but also the move towards electrification gathered pace as zero emissions zones are spreading and more charging points are coming on stream for longer distance drivers.
Electrified cars took 35.4% of registrations with BEVs snatching 16%, Hybrids 11.3% and PHEV models 8.1%. The SMMT pointed out that for ev sales to reach desired Government targets there must be 10,000 new chargers added every three months and this needs collaboration with the National Grid, local energy companies, councils and businesses as well public.
The motor industry predicts 1.847M new cars will go onto UK roads by the end of this year and 1.951 in 2024, with 30% of those electrified.
The SMMT said the new van market grew a remarkable 44.2% last month with electric models increasing 94.6% led by medium sized units and the whole sector recorded 26,990 registrations.
