The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called for better measures to avoid continued decline in the UK automotive industry.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the organisation, said in a statement that the UK remains open for business in the face of technological challenges and opportunities.
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“The first week back is also always about new car registration figures and the outcome of the previous year.
“The numbers for 2019 were as disappointing as expected, with a -2.4% drop marking the third year of decline for the UK new car market. There are ongoing points of concern – political and economic uncertainty has taken its toll, but also worrying is the confusion around clean air zones and other policy measures, which have had an impact on buyer confidence.”
A further decline will hinder the UK’s ability to meet the latest CO2 targets and undermine environmental goals, according to Hawes. “We urgently need a broad portfolio of supportive policies that will encourage investment in infrastructure, as well as measures to boost the uptake of the latest low and zero emission cars which means, first and foremost, long-term purchase incentives to help buyers make the move to these new technologies.
“The 144% increase in battery electric vehicle sales in 2019 is an encouraging sign, as are the 23 new BEV models on the way in 2020, but there’s a lot of work to do to grow these cars from their 1.6% market share to the 50-70% slice of the market that the government envisages by the end of the decade.”
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By GlobalDataHawes also stressed the importance of building solid international links, and leading the shift to electrified, connected and autonomous vehicles.
