New car sales in the UK rose by 11.5 percent in March offering a glimmer of hope to the auto industry.
Sales were however a third lower than the average for the same month over the past decade.Some industry sources question any hoped for boom in sales, as the fact that more people could choose to work from home post-lockdowns will curb car sales.”
People need to know what their day-to day schedules and travel requirements - are going to look like before they commit to a new car” says Karen Johnson of Barclays Corporate Banking, a leading lender to the sector.
Meanwhile battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles took a combined market share of 13.9 per cent. New figures from Ireland’s Central Statistics Office highlight the continued growth in the number of electric and hybrid vehicles licensed in Ireland. Despite the drop of 11% in the overall number of new cars licensed in the first three months of 2021, the number of new hybrid and electric cars licensed accounted for 32.2% of all new cars licensed.
The CSO said the number of new electric cars licensed from January to March 2021 grew by 54.8% from 1,495 to 2,314.
New Plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) cars licensed more than doubled - increasing by 142% - in the first three months of 2021 compared with the same time last year.
