LONDON (dpa-AFX) - UK car sales increased notably in January from the last year, when lockdown restrictions kept car showrooms shut, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, or SMMT, said on Friday.
Car registrations grew by 27.5 percent on a yearly basis in January. Data showed that 115,087 new cars were registered in January.
However, the market remained well below pre-pandemic levels, -22.9 percent lower than in January 2020, as chip shortages in particular continue to impact supply.
The lobby said one in five buyers opted electric cars, while new analysis revealed average new car CO2 reached record low, down -11.2 percent in 2021.
According to the latest market outlook, registrations of Battery Electric Vehicles and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles are forecast to grow 61 percent and 42 percent, respectively in 2022.
Overall, total new car registrations are expected to rise 15.2 percent on 2021, to 1.897 million units.
A 2022 market of 1.897 million would still be down -17.9 percent on the pre-pandemic 2019, but the recovery is expected to continue into 2023, with the market projected to climb above two million units for the first time since 2019.
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