In December, passenger car registrations in the UK saw a 18% year-over-year increase, totaling 128,462 units. Despite this growth, which marked the fifth consecutive month of expansion, the total number of units sold in 2022 came to 1,614,063, a 2% decrease compared to 2021.
Plug-in electric cars, on the other hand, had a strong end to the year, with 50,651 new passenger plug-in car registrations (a 41% year-over-year increase) reported by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This resulted in a record market share of 39.4%.
The all-electric car segment saw particularly impressive growth, with a record number of 42,284 units sold in December and a record market share of 32.9%. Plug-in hybrid sales, however, were not as successful, with only 8,367 units sold.
In 2022, a record 368,000 new passenger plug-in cars were registered in the UK, representing an average market share of 22.8%. This marks a significant increase from the previous year, when 305,281 plug-in cars were sold and held an 18.5% market share.
Last month, the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 were the two most popular models, with 10,664 and 5,704 registrations, respectively. The Nissan Leaf also performed well, making it into the top 10 with 1,783 units sold. The Model Y ended the year strong, taking the third overall spot with 35,551 units sold.
The Model Y also performed well in previous months, ranking second in November, September, June, and first in March. In contrast, the Model 3, which was the top seller in December 2021 with 9,612 units sold and the second best-seller of the year with 34,783 units, saw a decrease in sales this year, with 19,071 units sold.
