According to the report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK new car market declined by -35.5% in February as 28,282 fewer units were registered during a traditionally weak month for new vehicle uptake. The industry recorded its lowest February uptake since 1959, with 51,312 new cars registered.

With showrooms closed nationwide since 5 January – and in many parts of the country, since December – both private and fleet sector demand fell, by -37.3% and -33.5% respectively. All vehicle segments saw declines save for luxury saloons, which recorded a 3.8% increase against a statistically very small proportion of the market.

Plug-in vehicles continued to enjoy growth, with BEVs and PHEVs taking a combined 13.0% market share for the month, up from just 5.7% in February 2020. BEV uptake increased by 40.2% to 3,516, and PHEVs by 52.1% to 3,131 as the industry continues to promote a broad range of lower-emission technologies for consumers.