Scots car registrations drop 14.73% 07 | 11 | 2017

    THE SCOTTISH MOTOR Trade Association has blamed a “lack of clarity coming from the Scottish Government on their various clean air policies and the on-going ‘demonisation of everything diesel’, for a near 15% drop in new car registrations last month. (Related: UK new car sales fall for seventh month)

    In addition to falling 14.73% in October — down from 14,431 in October 2016, to 12,306 — the figures also show a 5.77% drop over the opening 10 months of 2016.

    The year-to-date registrations for the first 10 months of 2017 are 181,786 cars, compared to 192,910 for the same period in 2016. That’s a drop of 11,124 cars.

    Sales of diesel cars slumped by 29.5% in October. The SMTA said the double whammy of falling confidence among buyers and the demonisation of the diesel product have continued to impact the market.

    SMTA-Total-sales.jpg

    In the private sector, registrations accounted for 6106 units, with the fleet business contributing 5,935 units and the small business for 265 units.

    As with the rest of the UK, rises in registrations of Alternative Fuelled Vehicles failed to offset the subsequent drop in demand for diesel fuelled cars.

    The new Ford Fiesta was the top seller in October (600 sales), followed by the Ford Focus (387), Toyota ago (317), Vauxhall astra (297) and Fiat 500 (283).

    SMTA-Model-sales.jpg

    But over the opening 10 months of 2017, it’s the Vauxhall Corsa which remains No1, with 7856 sales, followed by the Fiesta (6038), Focus (4632), VW Polo (4513) and Astra (4153).

    Vauxhall also continues to be the best-selling marque in Scotland, with 20,767 sales in the opening 10 months of 2017, representing an 11.42% market share,

    Ford (19,658/10.81%) holds second place, followed by VW (14,360/7.90%), Audi (11,107/6.11%) and Renault (10,201/5.61%).

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    “There can be no doubt that the decline in business and consumer confidence is undoubtedly affecting demand in the new car market but this is being compounded by confusion over the respective UK and Scottish government policy positions on the future of diesel fuelled vehicles.

    "Scottish motorists need urgent reassurance that the latest, low emission diesel cars on sale will not face any bans, charges or other restrictions for use anywhere within Scotland and of course further afield,” Sandy Burgess, SMTA chief executive, said.

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    “As a matter of urgency, we need Transport Scotland to issue practical guidelines and interpretations on their previously announced policies to restore stability to the market place. Encouraging the purchase of the latest low emission vehicles is currently the quickest, most practical and most effective way of addressing the current air quality concerns.”

    The biggest drops in registrations were recorded in Dumfries & Galloway, which saw a fall of 24.10%, and Tayside where the drop was 23.98%.

    SMTA-Hybrid-sales.jpg

    Whilst there is growth in the AFV market, up by 33.7% in hybrid and 38% in pure electric, the percentages flatter the reality that the actual rise in registrations is by the paltry figures of 90 additional hybrids and seven pure electric cars within the month!

    “The Scottish Government cannot hide from their responsibilities here,” Burgess  continued. “The ill-advised announcement as to their ambitions for 2023 was made on September 6. The subsequent negative media coverage and lack of clarity statements have all contrived to drive down a market, which was already suffering from the Brexit fallout.”

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    Jim McGill

    All figures supplied by the SMMT.

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