The UK’s used car market fell for the second consecutive quarter this year, with the SMMT reporting a 12.2% decline over the three months of July to September. Some 1,785,447 vehicles changed hands, the first time that quarter three transactions have dipped below two million since 2015, as semiconductor shortages impacted supply of stock. Year to date sales are now down 9.7% to 5,319,482.
The UK’s new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market fell by -18.4 per cent in October, with 22,386 of the latest vans joining Britain’s roads. Despite robust demand, registrations were at the lowest level for October since 2012, and some -16.5 per cent below the pre-pandemic five-year average, as supply shortages continue to restrict global production and availability.
The UK new car market recorded a third month of growth in October, with registrations rising by more than a quarter (26.4 per cent) to 134,344 units, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Fulfilment of strong order books helped deliver the bounce-back, although the increase follows a particularly disappointing October 2021 when deliveries fell by -24.6 per cent. In the year to date, the market is down -5.6 per cent on the same period in 2021, but still a third below pre-Covid levels.
The light commercial vehicle (LCV) market grew by 10.8 per cent to 34,950 units in September – a popular month due to the plate change. Despite strong order books throughout 2022, September is the first month of growth in registrations this year, as supply disruptions have restricted model availability. The SMMT warned that this performance is artificially inflated versus 2021; this September remains -35.5 per cent below the five-year pre-pandemic average.
The UK new car market recorded its second successive month of growth in September (the second ‘plate change’ month of the year), with registrations rising 4.6 per cent, according to the latest figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). During what is typically the second biggest month of the year for the sector, 225,269 cars joined Britain’s roads. While this was a 9,957 unit increase on last year, when the industry recorded its weakest September since 1998, overall registrations for the month are still some -34.4 per cent below pre-pandemic levels as the industry continues to battle issues constraining supply to fulfil a backlog of orders.
In the commercial vehicle (CV) sector, production rose 92.9 per cent to 6,132 units, according to the latest SMMT figures, marking the best August since 2012 and the eighth consecutive month of growth. Overseas demand was up 78.4 per cent, while production for UK operators more than doubled year-on-year, rising 119.3 per cent. Year-to-date CV output is up 50.3 per cent at 64,828 units in the best year-to-date since 2012.
Car production in the UK rose for the third consecutive month in July, with figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showing 8.6 per cent year-on-year growth to 58,043 units. But before the local industry pats itself on the back, the SMMT cautions that this performance must be set in context as it compares with July 2021, which thanks to the semiconductor shortage was the worst July since 1956.
Halfords Autocentres’ recent expansion into the top-table of tyre retail is indicative of a wider move towards mechanical work in tyre-orientated garages. Now, many fast fits generate somewhere around 50 per cent of their income from non-tyre business.
According to the latest SMMT data, the UK aftermarket turns over an annual £21.1 billion – making it the ninth largest in the world. And what’s more there are said to be north of 40,000 points of sale in the UK, which means the wider tyre business’s recent shift towards more mechanical work means that aftermarket space is as competitive as ever. Still, the ongoing outlook is good and the aforementioned growth figures are increasing at the same rate as the UK’s growing car parc. As a result, SMMT projections suggest the UK aftermarket sector’s value is set to rise to £28 billion by 2022.
The Q2 figures for used car sales in the UK shows a substantial fall from the figure for 2021, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and traders. “The decline reflects the strength of the figures in 2021, the busiest quarter since records began. Franchised dealers continue to see strong demand in the used car segment driven by a combination of consumer demand and a lack of supply of new vehicles”, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association.
Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) yesterday show that the UK new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market declined for the sixth consecutive month in June. New registrations fell by 23.0 per cent to 26,443 units. Amid ongoing global supply chain shortages, 144,384 new vans, pickups and 4x4s were registered during the first half of 2022, 24.6 per cent fewer than in the same period last year.
UK new car registrations fell 24.3 per cent year-on-year in June. According to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 140,958 new vehicles were registered during the month, the weakest June performance since 1996.
UK commercial vehicle (CV) production grew 26.5 per cent in the fifth month of 2022, with 7,900 new vans, buses, trucks, coaches and taxis leaving British factory lines. Reporting these figures, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) comments that CV manufacturers recorded their best May performance since 2012, continuing a strong start to 2022 with five consecutive months of growth.
UK car production in grew in May 2022 for the first time since June 2021. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) report that a total of 62,284 units left factory gates during the month, a rise of 13.3 per cent. SMMT notes, however, that the increase must be viewed in context against May 2021, which was still suffering significantly from pandemic-related headwinds. Output remains 46.3 per cent below the pre-pandemic month in 2019, with ongoing supply chain issues, increasing economic uncertainty, rising business costs and disruption caused by the war in Ukraine.
The number of commercial vehicles on Britain’s roads has reached the highest level in history, according to the latest annual Motorparc data, published by the SMMT. Some 5,483,319 vans, trucks, buses and coaches were recorded in operation at the end of 2021, a 4.1 per cent increase on the previous year. Working vehicles now comprise 13.5 per cent of the 40,506,971-strong national fleet following a bumper year for van registrations and a return to growth for trucks and buses.
UK light commercial vehicle (LCV) registrations recorded their fifth consecutive month of decline in May, falling -25.1 per cent to 22,000 units, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Although the fall is amplified in comparison with last year, which saw the highest May registrations total in history, the market was still some -21.5 per cent below the pre-pandemic average as component shortages restricted production and therefore delivery.
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Artem Podrez; Pexels
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