Plate change boosts March car registrations

The UK’s new car market grew by 5.3 per cent in March, making it the biggest ever month since the bi-annual plate change began in 1999, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

518,707 new cars were registered in March, only the third time the market has surpassed half a million units in a single month. The month rounded off a record quarter, in which 771,780 new cars were registered – a 5.1 per cent increase over the first quarter in 2015.

Demand for alternative fuel vehicles showed a notable increase of 21.5 per cent in the month, as consumers continued to favour lower emission vehicles with lower running costs. Registrations of both diesel and petrol cars increased, meanwhile, with respective uplifts of 4.8 per cent and 4.7 per cent.

Growth was seen across all sales types in March: private and business registrations increased 3.8 per cent and 15.3 per cent respectively, while in the fleet sector demand grew 6.0 per cent, reversing small declines seen in January and February as buyers sought to maximise residual values by opting for the new March number plate.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “The sector’s strong growth in March rounds off a robust first quarter as British consumers continue to demonstrate their appetite for new cars, especially ultra-low emission vehicles. This consumer confidence should see registrations remain at a high but broadly stable level over the year but could be undermined by political or economic uncertainty.”