September was the best month on record for new battery-electric vehicle (BEV) uptake, according to figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
With a market share of 15.2%, some 32,721 BEVs joined the road in the month, reflecting the wide range of models now available. Indeed, the September performance was just over 5,000 shy of the total number registered during the whole of 2019.
Plug-in hybrid share also grew to 6.4%, meaning more than one in five new cars registered in September was zero-emission capable. Meanwhile, hybrid-electric vehicles grew their overall market share from 8% in 2020 to 11.6%, with 24,961 registered in the month.
However, the UK new car market has recorded its weakest September since 1998 ahead of the introduction of the two-plate system in 1999. Some 215,312 cars were registered in the month, a 34.4% fall on September 2020, when pandemic restrictions were significantly curtailing economic activity.
According to the SMMT, September is typically the second busiest month of the year for the industry, but with the ongoing shortage of semiconductors reportedly impacting vehicle availability, the 2021 performance was down some 44.7% on the pre-pandemic 10-year average.
Private demand was also down 25.3% with 120,560 new registrations in the month, but a bigger fall was recorded in large fleets, which declined by 43.1% to 90,445 units. As a result of the month’s performance, registrations year to date are now only 5.9% ahead of 2020 figures, and 29.4% down on the pre-pandemic decade-long average.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “This is a desperately disappointing September and further evidence of the ongoing impact of the Covid pandemic on the sector. Despite strong demand for new vehicles over the summer, three successive months have been hit by stalled supply due to reduced semiconductor availability, especially from Asia.
“Nevertheless, manufacturers are taking every measure possible to maintain deliveries and customers can expect attractive offers on a range of new vehicles. Despite these challenges, the rocketing uptake of plug-in vehicles, especially battery-electric cars, demonstrates the increasing demand for these new technologies.
“However, to meet our collective decarbonisation ambitions, we need to ensure all drivers can make the switch – not just those with private driveways – requiring a massive investment in public recharging infrastructure. Chargepoint roll-out must keep pace with the acceleration in plug-in vehicle registrations.”
