05.07.201807:48:00UTC+00UK Car Sales Decline In June: SMMT

UK car sales declined moderately in June, data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed Thursday.

Car registrations dropped 3.5 percent on year to 234,945 units in June. Year-to-date, new car sales slid 6.3 percent with 1.3 million new cars joining UK roads.

Demand from larger fleets fell 6.4 percent but business buyers with fewer than 25 vehicles on their books returned to showrooms, registering an 11.3 percent uplift in demand. Private demand was largely flat, at -0.6 percent.

"We now need a strategy that supports industry investment into next generation technologies and puts motorists back in the driving seat, encouraged to buy the car that best suits their needs - whatever its fuel type," Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said.