Latest news with #SocietyOfMotorManufacturers
The Independent
5 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
No cars available for full Electric Car Grant nearly a month after launch
Car dealers and industry experts have branded the Electric Car Grant roll out 'shambolic' as there are still no EV models eligible for the full discount nearly a month after launch. The grant was launched on July 16 and offers a two-tier discount scheme for electric cars under £37,000. 'Band 1' cars get the full £3,750 relief and 'Band 2' models receive a reduced £1,500 rate. As of today (Aug 14), only 17 cars are available for Electric Car Grants and all of them are in Band 2. The new Nissan Leaf will be eligible for the full £3,750 grant, but it is not yet on sale. Car dealers say this is stalling sales of EVs in showrooms as customers hold off purchases to see if their model will be offered a discount. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said new car sales in July were down five per cent and blamed 'external factors'. Chief Mike Hawes called for 'consumer certainty' around the grant. Neil McCue, director of the large South Coast-based franchised car dealer group Snows, branded the grant 'ill thought out'. He said: 'We have seen customers holding off buying electric cars in July and we're seeing it again in August. They're all asking for their £3,750 discount and we can't give it to them. 'Why has this been so complicated? It shouldn't have been linked to emissions for manufacturing – the idea here was to boost the sales of EVs and you can only do that with a simple scheme that covers them all.' Peter Smyth, director of car dealer group Swansway, called the scheme 'shambolic' and said it was causing 'too much confusion' in showrooms. He added: 'There should have been a simple VAT cut on all electric cars under £37,000 which would have been simple to implement and importantly available from the day of launch.' The Electric Car Grant discounts are linked to the eco credentials of the manufacturing process with 'Science-Based Targets' used to decide which band the cars sit in. These look at the emissions emitted by car makers when producing the batteries and the vehicles. James Baggott, editor of Car Dealer Magazine, said: 'We are hearing from dealers across the country that this scheme is having the opposite effect of what the government intended. The delay in announcing eligible cars is causing electric car sales to stall. 'While we applaud the government for finally doing something to incentivise electric car sales, the details of this scheme really should have been hammered out behind closed doors before it was announced to avoid the confusion we're now facing.' A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'We expect dozens of models to be eligible for the Electric Car Grant with 17 models announced to date and many more to come, providing a substantial boost for the industry and saving drivers thousands of pounds. 'The list of eligible models is published online and regularly updated with discounts available for the public at dealerships. 'We have also published comprehensive guidance for manufacturers who we will continue to work with alongside dealers to help more of their customers access the grant.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
No cars available for full Electric Car Grant nearly a month after launch
Car dealers and industry experts have branded the Electric Car Grant roll out 'shambolic' as there are still no EV models eligible for the full discount nearly a month after launch. The grant was launched on July 16 and offers a two-tier discount scheme for electric cars under £37,000. 'Band 1' cars get the full £3,750 relief and 'Band 2' models receive a reduced £1,500 rate. As of today (Aug 14), only 17 cars are available for Electric Car Grants and all of them are in Band 2. The new Nissan Leaf will be eligible for the full £3,750 grant, but it is not yet on sale. Car dealers say this is stalling sales of EVs in showrooms as customers hold off purchases to see if their model will be offered a discount. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said new car sales in July were down five per cent and blamed 'external factors'. Chief Mike Hawes called for 'consumer certainty' around the grant. Neil McCue, director of the large South Coast-based franchised car dealer group Snows, branded the grant 'ill thought out'. He said: 'We have seen customers holding off buying electric cars in July and we're seeing it again in August. They're all asking for their £3,750 discount and we can't give it to them. 'Why has this been so complicated? It shouldn't have been linked to emissions for manufacturing – the idea here was to boost the sales of EVs and you can only do that with a simple scheme that covers them all.' Peter Smyth, director of car dealer group Swansway, called the scheme 'shambolic' and said it was causing 'too much confusion' in showrooms. He added: 'There should have been a simple VAT cut on all electric cars under £37,000 which would have been simple to implement and importantly available from the day of launch.' The Electric Car Grant discounts are linked to the eco credentials of the manufacturing process with 'Science-Based Targets' used to decide which band the cars sit in. These look at the emissions emitted by car makers when producing the batteries and the vehicles. James Baggott, editor of Car Dealer Magazine, said: 'We are hearing from dealers across the country that this scheme is having the opposite effect of what the government intended. The delay in announcing eligible cars is causing electric car sales to stall. 'While we applaud the government for finally doing something to incentivise electric car sales, the details of this scheme really should have been hammered out behind closed doors before it was announced to avoid the confusion we're now facing.' A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'We expect dozens of models to be eligible for the Electric Car Grant with 17 models announced to date and many more to come, providing a substantial boost for the industry and saving drivers thousands of pounds. 'The list of eligible models is published online and regularly updated with discounts available for the public at dealerships. 'We have also published comprehensive guidance for manufacturers who we will continue to work with alongside dealers to help more of their customers access the grant.'
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Best-selling cars of 2025 so far: Models snapped up most in the first half of the year
As we have officially passed the mid-way point of the year, it's time to find out which car have been flying out of showrooms in greatest volumes. With June in the rear view mirror, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' latest figures have provide a snapshot of which 10 models have been most popular in the first half of the calendar. Some 1,042,219 new motors have been delivered between January and June, the trade body's bean counting department has revealed, which is a 3.5 per cent uptick on sales compared to the half-way marker in 2024. And there is a very clear picture being painted - Britons are still very much in love with large, high-riding motors. Eight of the ten best sellers of 2025 so far are SUVs or crossovers, which now dominate the market despite intense opposition from road safety campaigners, eco zealots and groups rallying to have them banned from city centres or charged extra to park. Here's the countdown of the top 10 favourite new models of the first six months of the year... 10. Volkswagen Tiguan - 15,223 sold Price: from 37,230 Volkswagen's Tiguan - while not making the top 10 list last year - remains one of the German giant's volume selling models. Large, spacious, stylish and packed with safety kit, it has understandably been a popular option among family car buyers for almost two decades. Last year, the third-generation version hit showrooms and has been incredibly well received by customers, with 15,223 purchasing one in the first half of 2025. That said, it isn't VW's outright best performer - that model comes later in this list. With a wide range of powertrains - including petrols, diesels and plug-in hybrids - there is plenty of choice to be had. Around one in six Volkswagen's leaving forecourts so far this year have been Tiguans, the SMMT figures show. 9. Volvo XC40 - 15,267 sold Volvo's award-winning XC40 has amassed 15,267 registrations already this year, which is good enough to secure the ninth spot in the popularity rankings - a feat it achieved in 2024. Since arriving on the market in 2018, the Swedish brand's first compact SUV has been a real force. It has picked up a stash of motoring gongs - and successfully turned this widespread industry praise into significant sales. Today, it is by far the company's most popular model in Britain. Almost half (45 per cent) of Volvos entering UK roads in 2025 so far are XC40s, the SMMT's records show. A combination of chunky - but stylish - looks, loads of comfort, a contemporary cabin and high degree of safety [as you'd expect from a Volvo] has put this luxury 4X4 among the array of mainstream SUVs tallying up the largest sales figures. 8. Hyundai Tucson - 15,496 sold The Hyundai Tucson has cemented itself as one of the nation's most popular family SUV models with another impressive sales showing so far in 2025, SMMT figures have confirmed The latest-generation Hyundai Tucson has cemented its popularity in the top 10 sellers list in recent years having secured a place in the hearts of the nation's family-car buyers. It's the sister model to the Kia Sportage [which we will get to soon] and epitomises the rise of Korean brands in recent years thanks to a wave of competitively-priced - and quality - vehicles. This Mk4 Tucson was unveiled in 2020 and comes with a unique look that might not be to all tastes - especially the 'face' of the car, with its enormous blocky grille that incorporates the headlight clusters. Sold with a choice of hybrid - and plug-in hybrid - engines, lots of specification as standard and a tech-rammed interior, we're not surprised to see it in this list with 15,596 registrations in the first half of 2025. 7. MG HS - 16,115 sold Price: from £25,995 The MG HS is officially the most popular budget-friendly SUV on the market and the best-selling Chinese model in Britain. It shows the huge rise of the brand in recent years, though having broken into the list of top 10 manufacturers by registrations in 2024, so far this year it is in 13th spot - though it still outsells Land Rover, Volvo, Renault, Tesla and Mini. The sub-£26,000 HS is currently its most popular model, selling in high enough numbers to take seventh spot in the model chart for the 2025 mid-year point. Helping to push it over the line was the arrival of an all-new version late in the year, which brought sleeker looks and even more space. While it is now around £2,000 pricier than the previous generation, the new HS is bigger, has a comprehensively overhauled cabin and the engine options also thoroughly updated, including a new plug-in hybrid drivetrain. 6. Volkswagen Golf - 16,884 sold Price: from £28,150 Having sensationally dropped out of the top 10 best sellers in 2023 for the first time in decades, the Golf clawed its way back into the order last year. And thus far in 2025 it is the sixth most-bought new model, helping Volkswagen to retain its crown as the nation's most popular car brand. With 16,884 examples registered between January and the end of June, it is set to match the 32,300 sales secured last year. It also looks set to hold onto its crown as Britain's favourite family hatchback, having eclipsed its Audi sibling, the A3, to reclaim the mantle last term. The current Mk8 Golf first arrived back in 2020. And while it ticked many boxes for customers it also had major flaws that put plenty of consumers off purchasing one. The facelifted Golf 'Mk8.5' arrived last year and addresses the biggest complaint customers had with the current model - the clunky infotainment setup and over-reliance on voice controls. VW designers have instead taken a step back and reintroduced buttons to the dashboard for users to adjust settings on the move with increased ease. The line-up is available with a choice of petrol, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains as well as six trim levels and a choice of manual or automatic gearboxes. With a GTI version too, there's pretty much a Golf for everyone. 5. Nissan Juke - 18,527 sold Price: from £24,545 The Nissan Juke has been shuffled down the order by one place compared to the best-selling cars list for 2024. That's despite it tracking ahead of registrations in the first six months Nissan showrooms have sold 18,527 Juke crossovers so far this year, putting it well on track to exceed 2024's full-year sales performance of 34,456 units. Despite this increase in registrations, it has dropped one place down the list compared to where it ended last term, as one rival has come out of nowhere to take its fourth-placed spot. Juke's popularity is in part thanks to an extensive upgrade last summer, which was intended to steal a march on Ford's volume-selling Puma that's secured the number one slot on the best-sellers list in the last two calendar years. The second-generation Juke, which has been on sale since 2019 and is built at the Japanese company's Sunderland factory, has been updated with a new interior and bigger touchscreen, more technology and driver assistance systems - and what Nissan says is a big step-up in quality. But it came at a price, as the move upmarket pushed entry prices higher to £24,545 for the small crossover car. 4. Vauxhall Corsa - 20,128 sold Price: from £19,410 The Corsa was 2021's best-selling new car but since then it's been a mixed bag in terms of registrations. Having dropped out of the top 10 most popular models last year, it's back up to fourth spot in the mid-year report for 2025 Dating back to 1993, the Vauxhall Corsa is part of the roadside furniture in Britain. Yet, despite topping the sales charts in 2021 after dislodging its biggest rival - the Ford Fiesta - the years that followed have been a mixed bag. In fact, it failed to place in the top 10 best sellers for 2024. Vauxhall, seeing this decline in demand, reacted last year with a mid-cycle facelift for the current Corsa - and it seems to have paid dividends with the supermini leaping up the charts to fourth overall in the first half of 2025. The upgrade - mixed with keen finance offers - have given the small Vauxhall a major shot in the arm, and it's £19,410 entry price makes this the only car in the top 10 order that can be had for less than £20k. It represents excellent value for money, which - when mixed with its blend of economical powertrains, including the all-electric option - appears to be catching the eye of plenty of new car buyers this term. 3. Nissan Qashqai - 22,085 sold Price: from £30,615 Nissan's Qashqai remains Britain's best-selling home-built motor, racking up over 22k registrations in the first half of 2025 The nation's third best-selling new model is one that's produced in Britain. Drivers have purchased 22,085 Qashqais in the opening half of the year, putting it on course to exceed 2024's full calendar sales of 42,418. It is still by far Nissan's most popular car, accounting for two in five of the Japanese brand's sales in the UK last term. A mid-life facelift last year brought a bolder exterior design, improved quality interior, revised safety assists and better connectivity thanks to built-in Google. Though it has pushed entry prices marginally higher to just over £30k. Tweaks to the engine line-up are due before the end of 2025. 2. Kia Sportage - 23,012 sold Price: from £30,885 Kia has given the Sportage a mid-cycle facelift with a new look and slightly tweaked engine performance. The updated version will arrive in showrooms in a matter of weeks and could trigger a jump in sales The Kia Sportage - which shares a platform with the Hyundai Tucson mentioned earlier - has continued its huge sales success which saw it jump to the second spot in the sales charts last year, and has maintained that position in the first half of 2025. It officially gazumped the Nissan Qashqai to become Britain's most popular family-size compact SUV last term, and is a mere 1,000 units ahead of its Japanese rival in the opening six months. That's no small feat for the Korean brand; Qashqai has been the nation's top choice in the segment since the first-generation model arrived in 2007. The fifth iteration of Sportage on sale now is proof of how far the manufacturer has come in recent years, with the SUV packed with kit and offering a refined ride. From the third quarter of 2025, it will be improved with a facelift variant revealed only a week ago. It boasts new column-like headlights and a blockier grille. The light cluster is new too, as is the rear bumper. Small tweaks have been made to the engine range too to keep it fresh against the competition. The 23,012 sold so far this year has it tracking slightly behind the full year registrations of 47,163 from 2024, but the arrive of the facelift within months could boost it further ahead. 1. Ford Puma - 26,355 sold Price: from £26,580 Ever since Ford culled production of the Fiesta in June 2023, Puma has taken over the mantle as the brand's most popular model in Britain. It is on course to cement its position as Britain's favourite new model in 2025 It looks like there'll be no catching the Ford Puma again this year. The Fiesta-based crossover has amassed 26,355 sales - over 3,300 more than its closest rival - in the opening six months of 2025 as it goes in pursuit of a hat-trick at the peak of Britain's new car sales charts. Historically, Ford has been a dominant force in Britain. In the 54 years that registrations have officially been tracked, a model with the blue oval badge has topped the sales league table an astonishing 51 times. Its stretch of having the number one car in the UK dates from the Cortina in 1972 to the Fiesta in 2020. Vauxhall's Corsa (2021) and Nissan's Qashqai (2022) knocked Ford off its perch before the Puma reclaimed the crown in 2023. With the Fiesta - Britain's most-owned car - now resigned to the history books after Ford culled production in the summer of 2023, the Puma has taken over the mantle as the company's major seller. Once again, it is the nation's favoured super-compact SUV, outperforming the likes of the Nissan Juke, Skoda Kamiq Vauxhall Mokka. Based on the first half of the year, it is well on course to eclipse the 48,340 registrations achieved in the previous calendar year. This has partly been aided by the arrival of the new Puma Gen-e electric version, which is on sale now for £29,995 - that's around just £3,500 more than the entry mild-hybrid petrol as Ford looks to bridge the price gap between its EVs and combustion-engine passenger motors.
The Guardian
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Chinese carmaker Chery Auto ‘actively considering' building UK factory
The Chinese carmaker Chery Auto is considering building its second European factory in Britain. After launching two brands – Omoda and Jaecoo – in the UK in September, Chery's UK director, Victor Zhang, said the company is making inroads in the British market with the appetite growing for Chinese cars. He was speaking at the annual conference of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, where the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, admitted there was 'still a lot of work' to do in negotiating away all of Donald Trump's tariffs against the British automotive, steel and food and drinks sectors. Zhang told the event in London on Tuesday that the company was 'actively considering' building a second plant in the UK as part of a 'localisation' strategy. 'If we, as a brand, want to be here, to be committed, to be here [manufacturing] is something that we should do. This is the open topic. Everything is on the table. We are considering, we are talking with the relevant parties.' He said the company had taken 2% of the UK EV market since it launched in 75 showrooms in the UK in September and the curiosity of British car drivers was translating into sales – including what he claimed was a 'super' hybrid car with capacity for 90 miles on drive-generated energy. 'The UK market is quite open; 40% of customers say they are willing to consider Chinese brands,' he said. Chinese manufacturers are intensifying their export efforts in the UK and in the EU in the face of prohibitive tariffs imposed by Donald Trump in the US. Geely Auto has invested more than £3bn in the British sports car maker Lotus, and another Chinese EV battery firm, EVE Energy, is in talks to invest more than £1bn to build a giant new factory on the outskirts of Coventry. They are also investing in factories in the EU to avoid tariffs imposed on EV imports by Brussels last summer. Rival Chinese firm BYD is building its first assembly plant in the EU in Hungary, and Omoda has sealed a joint venture plant with Spanish carmaker Ebro, south of Barcelona. The UK's trade deal with the US comes into force on Monday and will include a reduction in tariffs from 27.5% to 10%, giving a competitive advantage over the EU which is still facing 25% tariffs on cars sold to the US. However, it is still four times the tariff rate on car imports from the UK that applied before Donald Trump's 'liberation day' in April. A 10% tariff on general imports from the UK still applies, as does a 25% tariff on UK steel. Reynolds has said he is 'fighting' to get these eliminated. 'I'm fighting quite hard to make sure we are included [in a steel tariff exemption],' he said. 'I believe it's possible [to strike a deal] on the reciprocal tariffs, the so called 10% so there's still a lot of work going on on that.' Sherard Cowper-Coles, chair of the China-Britain business council and a former diplomat, told the conference the UK was stepping up its engagement with China and Chinese investors were actively looking for opportunities in the UK 'because of Trump'. He claimed the UK national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, would 'visit China in the middle of next month to prepare for a visit by the prime minister' and that Reynolds would go to the joint economic and trade commission in September.
Top Gear
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- Top Gear
UK car production falls to its lowest level in 73 years (if you don't count lockdown)
Business SMMT figures show historical low for making cars in Blighty Skip 1 photos in the image carousel and continue reading How's business? Last month spelled some pretty rubbish news for UK vehicle production, with April's numbers flagging by a chunky 15.8 per cent. That's the lowest level since 1952, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures – at least if you don't count lockdown. And why would you? That first pandemic measure pretty much entirely halted production. These – believe it or not – are more usual times, and yet 59,203 units (down from 70,319 in 2024) does not a pretty penny make. Advertisement - Page continues below You might like SMMT boss Mike Hawes said: 'With automotive manufacturing experiencing its toughest start to the year since 2009, urgent action is needed to boost domestic demand and our international competitiveness. 'Government has recognised automotive manufacturing's critical role in driving the UK economy, having successfully negotiated improved trading conditions for the sector with the US, EU and India in the space of a month. Advertisement - Page continues below 'To take advantage of these trading opportunities we must secure additional investment which will depend on the competitiveness and confidence that can be provided by a comprehensive and innovative long-term industrial strategy. Get this right and the jobs, economic growth and decarbonisation will flow across the UK." Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
