The motor trade industry has gone through some difficult times during the pandemic and beyond so it is pleasing to report that, according to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the number of new cars sold in July 2023 made for positive reading. Full details can be found on its website but we highlight some of the figures below.
In July 2023, the number of new car registrations amounted to 143,921 whereas in July 2022 the figure was 112,162. That is a commendable rise of 28.3%. The private sector had sales in July 2023 of 60,045 whereas in July last year the figure was 59,883 – a modest increase of 0.3%. The fleet sector had 80,961 sales compared to 50,014 in July 2022 – a huge rise of 61.9%. The business sector had 2,915 sales in July 2023 compared to 2,265 in July last year – a rise of 28.7%.
On a year to date basis to July 2023, the number of new car sales amounted to 1,093,641 compared to 914,241 for the same period in 2022. That is a good rise of 19.6%. The sale of new cars in the private sector rose by a modest 1.5%, the fleet sector by a very good 41.3% and the business sector by a good 21.9%.
As you can see, it is business and fleet sales that have produced the most positive improvement in percentage terms.
A very interesting statistic is that new battery electric vehicles (BEV) made up 16% of sales in July 2023 with sales having risen by over 87%. Apparently, that equates to one new BEV being registered every minute. It is forecast that by the end of 2024 such sales will increase to one new BEV every 40 seconds.
The top 3 selling new cars in July 2023 were: –
1. Ford Puma 4,124
2. Kia Sportage 3,060
3. Nissan Qashqai 3,032
The top 3 selling new cars on a year to date basis to July 2023 were: –
1. Ford Puma 26,889
2. Vauxhall Corsa 23,751
3. Nissan Qashqai 23,015
We will continue to keep our readers updated with interesting statistics relating to the registration of new cars.
