FX.co ★ UK New Car Sales Drop 10.4% in April

In April 2025, the UK experienced a 10.4% year-on-year decrease in new car registrations, amounting to 120,331 units. This represents a drop of 13,943 units compared to the same month the previous year and places registrations 25.3% below the levels of April 2019. This downturn marks the sixth decline over the past seven months, underscoring diminished consumer confidence and an unstable economy. Typically, April is a quieter month following the March plate change, but this year saw further reduction due to the late occurrence of Easter, which decreased the number of working days. Additionally, adjustments to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) effective from April 1—including new taxes on high-end electric vehicles (EVs)—prompted many consumers to advance their purchases to March. All sales categories experienced declines: private sales decreased by 7.9%, fleet sales by 11.9%, and business sales by 10.9%. Registrations of petrol and diesel cars plummeted by 22.0% and 26.2%, respectively, while hybrid vehicle registrations (HEVs) fell by 2.9%. In contrast, plug-in vehicles witnessed growth, with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) increasing by 34.1% and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rising by 8.1%, totaling 24,558 units and making up 20.4% of the market.