Sales of new cars in the UK plunged in March as economic uncertainty weighed on demand and consumers turned their backs on diesel, extending the run of falling sales to 12 months. New car sales have also been hit by a slump in demand for diesel cars, sales of which dropped 37.2% in March, according to the figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The last time car sales fell for a longer period was between July 2010 and July 2011, after the government’s scrappage scheme had ended. While demand for diesel has fallen sharply since the emissions scandal and amid uncertainty about future environmental levies on diesel cars, sales of new petrol cars rose 0.5% in March, and plug-in and hybrid sales were up 5.7%. Ian Gilmartin, head of retail at Barclays corporate banking, said the UK industry still had some reasons to be cheerful.

Source: The Guardian April 05, 2018 09:20 UTC