Commercial vehicles reach record share of vehicles on road
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.
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New van registrations fall for fifth consecutive month as supply squeeze continues
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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Supply shortages mean May car registrations down by 20 per cent
New UK car registrations fell -20.6 per cent to 124,394 units in the second weakest May since 1992, after the 2020 pandemic-hit market, as supply shortages continued to hamper new purchases and the fulfilment of existing orders, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The decline, compared with the first full month of reopened showrooms in May last year, demonstrates the impact of continued global supply chain disruptions, with the market -32.3 per cent below the 2019 pre-pandemic level despite strong order books.
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Battery revenues to top $168bn by 2030 but severe global shortages highly likely from 2025 – GlobalData
The battery industry is set to be one of the most significant over the next 10 years, according to GlobalData, which predicts that revenues will exceed $168 billion by 2030. However, the leading data and analytics company notes that extraction of raw materials will not meet soaring demand unless capital markets change course in the face of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) pressures and invest heavily in new mines.
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Latest NMDA Dealer Attitude Survey shows fall in satisfaction levels
“It is disappointing to see that motorcycle and scooter dealers’ average satisfaction levels with their respective manufacturers have fallen across the board”, said Stephen Latham, interim head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) commenting on the results of the latest, recently-published NMDA Spring 2022 Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS).
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57% of garages plan price increase due to cost-of-living crisis, rising parts prices
57 per cent of garages are planning on increasing their prices according to a survey conducted by WhoCanFixMyCar. The survey, which was sent to WhoCanFixMyCar’s network of over 15,000 top-rated garages, mobile mechanics and dealerships, asked businesses whether they would be raising their prices soon, and if so, what had influenced that decision.
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‘Robust’ demand for used vehicles set to continue
“As new car sales continue to be impacted by the ongoing supply constraints, it is encouraging to see that consumer appetite for second-hand vehicles remained robust in the first quarter of the year”, said Sue Robinson, chief executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), commenting on the latest SMMT’s used car figures. The UK’s used car market rose 5.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 with 1,774,351 transactions. There were 86,596 more cars changing hands compared to the same period in 2021. Despite this increase, used car transactions remain -12.2 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.
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Top 10 UK tyre retailers 2022 – growing fast
Times have been tough in the last couple of years, but if the growth of the top 25 tyre retailers in the UK is anything to go by, the nation’s leading tyre retail businesses are taking triumph from adversity. Of course, Halfords’ acquisition of National Tyres and Autocare’s parent company at the end of 2021 makes up a big part of the new UK tyre retail landscape, but it is clear that adding branches to existing networks (either by organic growth or by acquisition) is a common theme across the board.
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The UK’s leading retailers 2022 (#11 to #15)
Continuing our 2022 analysis of the leading UK tyre retailers by branch count, Just Tyres is this years number 11, having grown via the addition of two new centres which brings its total to 39. At this rate, Just Tyres is likely to overtake Mr Clutch into 10th position during the next year or two.
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The UK’s leading retailers 2022 (#15 to #25) – New entries and stable growth
This year the top 25 table has been characterised by growth virtually across the board. However, something that stands out in positions 15 to 25 is that there have been a couple of new entries onto the ranking in addition to this. Exemplifying stability in the market, In ‘n’ Out Autocentres appears to have remained in 15th position with 27 branches.
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Fall in UK March van sales
Commenting on the latest UK registration figures for vans, Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), said; “Registrations of light commercial vehicles declined in March as supply constraints and subsequent product shortages continue to have a detrimental impact on the market; these issues are not only affecting automotive, but also other economy sectors, such as the construction industry, whose stability is vital to the van market.”
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Ukraine war’s impact on global tyre-makers acute for Nokian, manageable for others
The first month of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already revealed several consequences for mobility and the global tyre industry, as Tyrepress’s continuing coverage of the situation has shown. The resultant sanctions imposed on Russia by an international alliance and the response of multinational companies, at least 450 of which had scaled back their business in the country as of the publication of this article, will send reverberations around global economies. The tyre industry faces impacts on several fronts – higher fuel prices and further interruption to logistics chains and materials supply will have knock-on consequences for tyre sales that will unfold over the coming months. At nearly a month after the conflict began, tyre business analyst Astutus Research examines the immediate consequences for tyre manufacturing in Russia, as well as its neighbours Ukraine and Belarus. This analysis looks at the impact of events on the global manufacturers whose plants were collectively responsible for around 70 per cent of Russia’s passenger car and light truck (PCLT) output. For more Astutus Research analysis and forecasts for the global tyre business, see the report series ‘Beyond Covid-19’ in Tyrepress’s Report Shop.
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Recovery’s small steps show most valuable consumer, light commercial tyre segments
The 2021 recovery of the UK car, SUV and van tyre (Light Vehicle) replacement market may not have been the desired quick return to pre-pandemic numbers, but GfK data supplied exclusively to Tyres & Accessories gives us some idea of how 2019 market growth areas have preserved continuity through the last two Covid-afflicted years. Tyres designed for the larger rims of higher performance and newer car models, SUV and light commercial vehicle tyres, and tyres offering performance in all seasons continued to grow at quicker rates than the whole UK replacement tyre market. These overall figures, shown in the top left-hand corner of the infographic, show that unit sales increased by three per cent within the panelmarket – similar figures comparing 2020 with 2019 published in February 2021 showed that unit sales contracted by 14 per cent for comparison. Meanwhile, the value of the UK’s Light Vehicle tyre market rose by seven per cent according to the panelmarket. GfK’s panelmarket data tracks points of sale around the UK to indicate aftermarket tyre trends – the data used for this article compares January-December 2021 to full-year 2020.
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January LCV sales fall, but EV sales on the rise
The UK new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market fell by -26.9 per cent to 17,566 registrations in the first month of 2022 compared with a bumper January last year, according to the latest figures issued by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
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Positive start’ to 2022 new car sales, but overall market levels still low
The UK automotive sector recorded a positive start to 2022 as 115,087 new cars were registered, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Registrations were up by more than a quarter (27.5 per cent) on January 2021, when lockdown restrictions kept car showrooms shut.
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