UK new car sales climb for second month in 2025, led by discounted EVs

Published 05/06/2025, 10:44
UK new car sales climb for second month in 2025, led by discounted EVs

Investing.com -- According to a recent report by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), new car sales in Britain witnessed a rise for the second consecutive month this year.

The increase in sales during May was primarily driven by heavy discounting from electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers.

Chinese EV makers have been aggressively expanding their presence in the European markets, leading to an intense price war among automakers.

This aggressive pricing strategy has significantly impacted the profit margins of several car manufacturers.

The SMMT report indicated that new car registrations saw a year-over-year increase of 1.6%, totaling 150,070 units in May. This marks the highest performance for the month of May since 2021.

Electric vehicles played a substantial role in this sales growth, accounting for more than 47% of the total car sales in May.

Battery electric vehicle sales specifically saw a notable increase, rising 25.8% year-over-year.

This data suggests that the demand for electric vehicles continues to grow in the UK, possibly fueled by the steep discounts offered by manufacturers.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers
© 2007-2025 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.