It was a good July for new car sales with 26,483 registrations for the start of the second half of the year, compared to 21,171 in July 2020. July 2019 say 24,681 sales so last month even beat the 2019 figure, which is a very positive result.
So far this year, 90,342 cars have been registered, against just 74,056 for the same period in 2020.
Sales of Light Commercials also saw an increase to 4,794 registrations and HGV sales were also up.
Used Car Imports are also down again, with just 5,345 cars imported in July, compared to 8,740 in the same month last year, showing that with NOx charges and Brexit, it’s increasingly unattractive to bring in a car from the UK.
At 1,902, electric car registrations are well ahead of the 771 sold in July 2020 and so far this year, 6,233 electric cars have found new homes, a huge increase on 2020 when 2,660 EVs were sold in the first six months of the year.
EVs. hybrids and plug-in hybrids combined now make up over 30% of the full market. Diesel is still holding strong at 34.43% with petrol closing fast at 32.62%. Electric cars currently have almost 7% of the total market.
Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General commented “In what has been a very difficult and uncertain trading environment over the last eighteen months, new car sales in July have brought a much needed boost to both the Industry and to local economies. Pent-up demand and record savings have led to strong appetite for all vehicles, new and used, cars and commercials. While new car sales continue to be well behind pre-Covid levels, hopefully this growth in activity in July is the first step in a return to more sustainable business levels. It is particularly encouraging to see an increase in the sale of new electric vehicles, a vital component in driving down emissions from transport. The level of zero and low emitting vehicles will continue to grow and it is vital that both the Industry and the State continue to invest to deliver the widest possible choice to motorists and commuters. The move to zero emissions is a huge challenge across society. In this context, taxation policy and incentives can drive this change positively, but it must support motorists to make the right decisions based on their own individual needs, which will include choosing electric, hybrid and lower emitting traditional fuel type vehicles.”
Top 5 Car Brands July
1. Toyota
2. Volkswagen
3. Hyundai
4. Skoda
5. Ford
Top 5 Car Models
1. Hyundai Tucson
2. Toyota Corolla
3. Toyota Yaris
4. Toyota Rav 4
5. Volkswagen Tiguan
