New car market fell 1 in February

Industry body the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said 84,054 new cars were registered in the UK in February.

That compares with 84,886 during the same month last year.

The fall was driven by a 17.3% drop in deliveries of petrol cars.

There was a 41.7% increase in the uptake of pure battery electric cars, resulting in a market share of 25.3%.

The SMMT said the growth in demand for EVs was "unsurprising" as tax changes in April mean many models will be subject to the vehicle excise duty expensive car supplement for the first time.

Over six years this will add £2,215 to the cost of owning a pure battery electric new car with a list price exceeding £40,000, according to the organisation.

The SMMT said manufacturers have discounted EVs by a total of £4.5 billion over the last year, amid pressure to hit Government-mandated sales targets.

February is one of the smallest and most volatile months for new car sales, as it comes ahead of the March numberplate change.

Private registrations in February rose by 4.6% year-on-year, while purchases for fleets owned or leased by businesses or other organisations dropped by 4.0%.

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: "Although February's figures show a subdued overall market, the good news is that electric car uptake is increasing, albeit at huge cost to manufacturers in terms of market support.

"It is always dangerous, however, to draw conclusions from a single month, especially one as small and volatile as February.

"With the all-important March number plate change now upon us, and tax changes taking effect in April that will, perversely, dissuade EV purchases, we expect significant demand for these new products next month.

"But long term, EV consumers need carrots, not ever more sticks."