The SMMT reports 140,945 new cars were registered across Great Britain in October, a declined of -1.6% compared with the same month last year. The SMMT identifies the Welsh ‘firebreak’ as having accounted for more than half of the month’s shortfall against the previous year level. 
Sales of diesel powered cars were down -38% compared with October 2019. Petrol engine car sales declined -21%. Sales of battery electric vehicles increased +195%. However, the largest percentage and volume increase was in hybrids, led strongly by the MHEV petrol category, in which an additional 13,500 vehicles were sold, representing an increase of +546% on October 2019. October sales to private buyers were up marginally year on year (+0.4%). Sales to fleet buyers declined -3.3%.
Ten month year-to-date new car registrations were -31% lower than same period 2019 at 1.38 million, a shortfall of more than 600,000 units.
In contrast to car registrations, the UK Light Commercial Vehicle market received a major boost in October, as operators expanded their fleet ahead of Christmas. A total of 28,753 LCVs were registered, up +13.3% on October 2019. Registrations of heavy vans (>2.5t<3.5t) increased +26.8%.
Ten month registrations remain down -24.1%, a 75,000 unit deficit on 2019.