An increase in fleet sales has enabled the UK car market to continue its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, with volumes increasing for 10 consecutive months.
More than 76,000 cars were sold to fleets in May, up 36.9% on May 2022, according to new data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). That increase, which meant fleet sales accounted for 52.5% of May’s new car market, reflects a “regularization” of supply, the SMMT said.
Sales to companies increased by 22.5% year-on-year to 3,065 cars.
However, the private car market stagnated in May, with registrations falling 0.5% to 65,932.
Gasoline cars, both mild hybrids and non-electrically assisted, were the most popular choice over the past month, with a total of 82,800 sales.
Electric-battery motors remain in second place (24,513 registrations), followed by parallel hybrids (17,792).
Diesel engines (MHEV and non-assisted) continued their slide down the sales charts: their combined 10,894 registrations in May 2023 represented a decrease of 18.9% compared to the same month last year. Several manufacturers have axed their diesel offerings in the UK as a result of their unpopularity, including BMW and Vauxhall.
Plug-in hybrids also remained a niche option, with 9,025 sales, although this is a 23.0% increase compared to May 2022.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “After the difficult and constrained supply issues due to Covid in recent years, it is good to see the new car market continuing its upward trend and the fact that the growth is getting greener is very encouraging.”
The Ford Puma was the best-selling car in May 2023, followed by the Nissan Qashqai, which topped last year’s overall list, and the Vauxhall Mokka.
