New car sales declined by 89.0% in May with 20,247 units registered. Registrations from private buyers accounted for 63.7% of the market. In the first five months of the year, the market is now down by -51.4%.
All segments except battery electric vehicles declined in May. Sales of petrol were down by -90.5% and diesel -93.0%, BEVs had 429 more units registered than last year.
The decline in new car sales does not come as a surprise as showrooms remained closed in May. It is positive that dealerships across England are now able to reopen and safely welcome customers back.
Franchised retailers are taking robust precautions and have implemented stringent measures to ensure the health of staff and customers which is the top priority.
There are attractive offers on new and used cars consumers can benefit from over the next weeks and retailers have reported positive figures from the first days back in business.
As Governments across the EU have stepped in to support the automotive sector, it is important that also the UK Government consider how to best assist the UK automotive industry, which is one of the pillars of the UK economy and employs in total over 800,000 people.
