Battery electric vehicle (BEV) made up 16.9 per cent of the new car market in April, But the rise was sustained entirely by business buyers, as private retail demand dropped by five per cent.

UK new car registrations grew for the 2st1 consecutive month in April, rising by a modest 1.0 per cent to reach 134,274 units, according to the latest data published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). As a result, this was the market’s best April since 2021, although uptake was still 16.6 per cent below the pre-pandemic level in what is traditionally a low volume month following the March plate change.

Electrified vehicles continued to be the main drivers of market expansion. Plug-in Hybrids (PHEVs) recorded the strongest growth, rising by 22.1 per cent to account for 7.8 per cent of the market, followed by Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), up 16.7 per cent with a 13.1 per cent share of demand. April was a brighter month for battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations, predominantly due to compelling fiscal incentives for businesses. Overall, BEV uptake rose 10.7 per cent, pushing up market share to 16.9 per cent.

While the overall increase in BEV demand is positive, fewer than one in six new BEVs bought in April went to consumers, whose uptake volumes fell by 21.9 per cent, and SMMT’s latest market outlook shows a diminishing share for BEVs despite a growing overall new car market. 1.984 million new cars are now anticipated to be registered in 2024 – a 4.2 per cent rise on last year, and a 0.5 per cent increase on January’s outlook. However, BEV volumes for this year have been revised downwards by 5.2 per cent, with anticipated market share now 19.8 per cent, and significantly below the Government target of 22 per cent per manufacturer under the Vehicle Emissions Trading Scheme.

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