Aftermarket February 2023

MONTH 2017 AFTERMARKET 3 www.aftermarketonline.net FEBRUARY 2023 AFTER ARKET 5 1,614,063 new cars were sold in the UK in 2022, down 2% on 2021, with supply chain issues cited as the main drag on demand according to the figures from the SMMT. At the close of the year, EV sales were second only to petrol. In December alone, 128,462 new cars were registered, up 18.3% from the same month in 2021. Looking at the full year, Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) took 16.6% of market share for the year, exceeding diesel vehicle sales for the first time. Conversely, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales fell, making up 6.3% of the total. When added together, all plug-in vehicles represented 22.9% of new car sales during the year. At the same time, hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) sales went up, with the segment making up 11.6% of all vehicles registered during the year. To maintain market momentum, SMMT Chief Executive Mike Hawes noted that more EV infrastructure is crucial: “The automotive market remains adrift of its pre-pandemic performance but could well buck wider economic trends by delivering significant growth in 2023. To secure that growth – which is increasingly zero emission growth – government must help all drivers go electric and compel others to invest more rapidly in nationwide charging infrastructure.” John Wilmot, CEO at car leasing comparison website LeaseLoco, said: “While EVs grabbing second spot in market share makes good headlines, the reality is that growth in electric vehicle ownership in the UK is actually falling according to the latest Department of Transport electric vehicle registrations data. Between Q2 2022 and Q3 2022, BEV registrations increased just 9.8%, compared to 11.6% between Q1 2022 and Q2 2022, and 15.5% between Q4 2021 and Q1 2022. With the government's focus likely to be elsewhere in the coming months, as the country grapples with high inflation and the cost of living crisis, it's hard to believe that EV charger provision is going to be at the top of MPs' in- trays." For more on EVs, turn to Big Issue on pages 8- 13, as well as our regular EV and hybrid news round-up on pages 58-59. www.aftermarketonline.net Ben launches new text support service Ben has launched a new text service so those in the automotive sector can access support at any time of the day. The text service offers support outside of Ben’s normal Monday-Friday 8am-8pm hours in partnership with Shout. Rachel Clift, Health and Wellbeing Director at Ben, said: “We are delighted to be launching our text service. We know this will be a hugely valuable new resource for people who need our help. The fact that people can now contact us and receive support at any time, day or night, means that we can offer potentially life-saving support to our automotive family who may be struggling or in crisis.” To access the service, text BEN to 85258 free and anonymously from all major UK networks. For more on Ben’s text support service, visit: www.ben.org.uk/get- help/ben-s-text-support- service EV sales second only to petrol in 2022