Fleet Sales Drive UK Car Market Recovery in May 2023
In May 2023, the UK’s car market continued its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, with sales to fleets rising for the 10th consecutive month. According to new data released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), more than 76,000 cars were sold to fleets during May, representing a 36.9% increase compared to May 2022. This surge in sales allowed fleet sales to account for 52.5% of May’s new car market, reflecting a “regularisation” of supply, as stated by the SMMT.
Sales to businesses also rose by 22.5% year on year to 3065 cars. However, the private car market stalled in May, with registrations falling by 0.5% to 65,932.
Petrol cars, including mild-hybrid and electrically unassisted vehicles, were the most popular choice over the past month, with a combined total of 82,800 sales. Battery-electric powertrains remained in second place with 24,513 registrations, followed by parallel-hybrids with 17,792.
Diesel powertrains, including MHEV and unassisted vehicles, continued their decline down the sales charts. Their combined registrations of 10,894 in May 2023 represented an 18.9% decrease compared to the same month last year. Several manufacturers have cut their diesel offerings in the UK due to its unpopularity, including BMW and Vauxhall.
Plug-in hybrids remained a niche choice with 9025 sales, although this is a 23.0% increase compared to May 2022. SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said: “After the difficult, Covid-constrained supply issues of the last few years, it’s good to see the new car market maintain its upward trend, and the fact that growth is, increasingly, green growth is hugely encouraging.”
The Ford Puma was the best-selling car in May 2023, followed by the Nissan Qashqai, last year’s overall chart-topper, and the Vauxhall Mokka.
Sales to Fleets Drive UK Car Market Recovery
The UK’s car market has been recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, with sales to fleets driving the growth. In May 2023, sales to fleets rose by 36.9% year on year, while sales to businesses increased by 22.5%. This increase in sales allowed fleet sales to account for more than half of May’s new car market.
The SMMT stated that this surge in sales reflects a “regularisation” of supply. This means that the supply chain has returned to a more normal level after being disrupted by the pandemic. However, the private car market stalled in May, with registrations falling by 0.5%.
Petrol cars were the most popular choice in May 2023, with a combined total of 82,800 sales. Battery-electric powertrains remained in second place with 24,513 registrations, followed by parallel-hybrids with 17,792. Diesel powertrains continued their decline down the sales charts, with their combined registrations of 10,894 in May 2023 representing an 18.9% decrease compared to the same month last year.
Several manufacturers have cut their diesel offerings in the UK due to its unpopularity, including BMW and Vauxhall. Plug-in hybrids remained a niche choice with 9025 sales, although this is a 23.0% increase compared to May 2022.
SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes said that it was good to see the new car market maintain its upward trend, and that the fact that growth is increasingly green growth is hugely encouraging.
Best-Selling Cars in May 2023
The Ford Puma was the best-selling car in May 2023, followed by the Nissan Qashqai and the Vauxhall Mokka. The Ford Puma is a compact SUV that was first introduced in 2019. It is available with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, as well as petrol engines. The Nissan Qashqai is a popular crossover SUV that has been in production since 2006. It is available with petrol, diesel, and hybrid powertrains. The Vauxhall Mokka is a subcompact crossover SUV that was first introduced in 2012. It is available with petrol, diesel, and electric powertrains.
Conclusion
The UK’s car market continued its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic in May 2023, with sales to fleets driving the growth. Petrol cars were the most popular choice, followed by battery-electric powertrains and parallel-hybrids. Diesel powertrains continued their decline down the sales charts, with several manufacturers cutting their diesel offerings in the UK due to its unpopularity. Plug-in hybrids remained a niche choice, although sales increased by 23.0% compared to May 2022. The Ford Puma was the best-selling car in May 2023, followed by the Nissan Qashqai and the Vauxhall Mokka.