New car registrations were up 674 percent in May 2021 as auto retailers continued to recover after 2020’s covid-related lockdowns.
Almost 157,000 new cars hit the roads, a near-eightfold increase on the mere 20k vehicles that were registered in 2020.
However, the Society of Motor Manufacturers is still sounding a note of caution, pointing out that 2021’s new car registrations remain 29.1 percent down on the 10-year average.
Improving business confidence is driving the growth in registrations, with large fleets accounting for more than half the new cars that hit the roads in May.
Fleet registrations grew twice as fast as private registrations last month.
This is also seeing a growth in the UK’s plug-in market, which accounted for 13.8 percent of sales. This is up from 7.2 percent last year.
Pure electric sales comprise 8.4 percent of the marketplace with plug-in hybrids making up 6.3 percent.
In contrast, pure diesel sales dropped to less than 1 in 10 registrations, with the addition of mild hybrid diesel only taking the total up to 16.7 percent. Petrol, by way of comparison, now accounts for over 6 in 10 new car sales.
“With dealerships back open and a brighter, sunnier, economic outlook, May’s registrations are as good as could reasonably be expected,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.
“Increased business confidence is driving the recovery, something that needs to be maintained and translated in private consumer demand as the economy emerges from pandemic support measures.
“Demand for electrified vehicles is helping encourage people into showrooms, but for these technologies to surpass their fossil-fuelled equivalents, a long-term strategy for market transition and infrastructure investment is required.”
May 2021’s top performers
In the battle of the brands, Volkswagen beat Vauxhall with the Golf pipping the Corsa to top spot.
Surprisingly, the Volkswagen Polo was third, with the Ford Fiesta – a perennial UK best-seller – way down in seventh place.
Ford has been hit by the global chip shortage which has affected production of both the Fiesta and Focus, the latter of which dropped out of the top 10 best-sellers chart.
Ford did snare fifth place with the Puma, which is now the sixth best-selling car so far in 2021.
The Corsa continues to stretch ahead of the Fiesta in the overall 2021 chart though, with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class taking third.
May 2021 best-selling cars
1: Volkswagen Golf
2: Vauxhall Corsa
3: Volkswagen Polo
4: Mercedes-Benz A-Class
5: Ford Puma
6: Kia Sportage
7: Ford Fiesta
8: Toyota Yaris
9: Mini
10: Audi A3
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