The UK's new car market continued to grow last month, with demand for low-emission vehicles creating a sales surge
The UK’s new car market continued to grow in May, new figures released by the Society of Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have revealed.
As well as marking the 39th consecutive month of growth in the new car market, the figures also show a surge in the demand for ultra-low-emission vehicles (ULEVs), including plug-in hybrids and electric cars.
In total, more than 1.1 million vehicles have been registered in the first five months of the year, with 198,706 of those coming in May alone.
Most interesting, however, is the fact that 11,842 ultra-low-emission vehicles were registered last month, a four-fold increase on the same period last year.
The SMMT says the rise is down to better consumer awareness of the benefits of ULEVs, as well as a wider choice. Just six ULEVs were available to choose from in 2011, compared to around 20 today.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “The remarkable growth in demand for plug-in vehicles is expected to continue as the range of ultra-low-emission vehicles on sale increases. Meanwhile, we anticipate a natural levelling out of the overall new car market throughout the remainder of 2015.”
UK's best-selling cars in May 2015
1 - Ford Fiesta 9349 units registered
2 - Ford Focus 7355
3 - Vauxhall Corsa 6513
4 - Volkswagen Golf 5897
5 - Vauxhall Astra 4916
6 - Mini 4095
7 - Volkswagen Polo 4028
8 - Audi A3 3999
9 - Nissan Qashqai 3978
10 - Nissan Juke 3897
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