It’s fair to say 2024 wasn’t easy for car manufacturers, with a torrent of government legislation to deal with and wavering demand for electric vehicles. SMMT (The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) has announced the figures everyone in the motoring industry is interested in: the UK’s best-selling cars in 2024. It also revealed the overall number of new car registrations last year and crunched the numbers surrounding the fuel sources Britons are choosing.
SUVs and Crossovers Still Dominate Sales
There’s nothing surprising at the top of the table, with affordable SUVs and crossovers like the Ford Puma, Kia Sportage and Nissan Qashqai dominating the UK’s best-selling cars in 2024. Despite Nissan looking to merge with Honda, the Japanese giant has two models in the top 5, while two Volkswagen staples, the Golf and the Polo, are resisting the move towards larger cars.
Surprisingly, there’s just one EV in the top 10, being the Tesla Model Y which was the global bestseller in 2023. Alongside the Volvo XC40, just two premium models have a place in the upper echelons of car sales in Britain, with the other eight models being relatively affordable.
Electric Market Grows, but it’s Not Enough
381,970 BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) were sold last year, an increase of more than a fifth from 2023. This meant they had a market share of 19.6%, although this fell short of the 22% that the mandate requires. Manufacturers have had a torrid time trying to sell electric vehicles, offering over £4.5 billion in discounts over the course of the year. There are now 132 ZEV (Zero Emissions Vehicle) models available, which represents a third of all vehicles on offer.
BEVs are the third most popular with private buyers, behind petrol vehicles and hybrids. However, they represent a quarter of fleet and business registrations, which far outweigh private registrations.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “A record year for EV registrations underscores vehicle manufacturers’ unswerving commitment to a decarbonised new car market, with more choice, better range and increased affordability than ever before. This has come at huge cost, however, with the billions invested in new models being supplemented by generous incentives which are unsustainable. We need rapid results from the regulatory review and urgent substantive support for consumers – else automotive investments will be at risk and the jobs, economic growth and net zero ambitions we all share in jeopardy.”
Tesla Continues to Dominate EV Sales
Unsurprisingly, the EV behemoth continues to top BEV sales charts, although Audi’s Q4 e-tron has prevented a clean sweep. There’s more variety in the styles of vehicle EV buyers choose, with hatchbacks and saloons featuring alongside the inevitable SUVs and crossovers. It’s been a massive year for EVs, both in terms of technology and affordability, with the average range of new EVs being nearly 280 miles. The bestsellers list also features more affordable offerings than in previous years, opening up electric mobility to more buyers.
Registrations Rise Thanks to Fleets
2024 was the second successive year of growth, with 1,952,778 new cars registered. This represents a rise of 2.6%. However, it’s not as rosy as it seems. Fleets were entirely responsible for this growth, with an 11.8% rise. They now make up 59.6% of new car registrations.
However, private sales fell by 8.7% and business sales fell as well. Major players in the industry have been calling for the government to incentivise BEVs for private buyers in the same way that it does for fleets. And with the BEV mandate rising to 28% for 2025, those calls are only going to get louder.
