2018.11.0504:39:00UTC+00UK Car Sales Decline In October: SMMT

UK new car market declined in October as the auto industry calls for policies to boost fleet renewal, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported Monday.

Car registrations decreased 2.9 percent annually to 153,599 units in October due to shortages across some brands caused by model changes and backlogs at test houses conducting tough new WLTP emissions certification.

Hybrid and plug-in registrations moved up 30.7 percent but, as grant is cut, new forecast data suggests outlook lags behind government ambitions, SMMT said.

During year-to-date period, overall market dropped 7.2 percent with gap hoped to narrow slightly as supply issues resulting from regulatory changes ease.

Pending no further market disruption, some pull-back is hoped for during the remainder of the year as current supply issues ease, enabling manufacturers to cater for pent up demand on certain models, said SMMT.