The SMMT has announced that new car registrations through the UK’s scrappage scheme totalled 284,479 between May and December 2009. They accounted for 20.9% of all new car registrations in December.
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LCV scrappage registrations over the May to December period totalled 4,494 units.
The average CO2 emissions of a car bought through the scheme was 133.3g/km, 10% below the overall new car market average and 27% below a scrapped car’s emissions, the SMMT said.
Commenting on the data, SMMT chief executive Paul Everitt said, “The Scrappage Incentive Scheme (SIS) has helped significantly to increase new car registrations in each of the last six months, including a 38.9% increase in the December 2009 market. This has provided an important boost to the UK motor industry and greater confidence for consumers. The scheme will continue until the end of February and there is still an opportunity for around 85,000 more consumers to take advantage of it. Alongside the economic benefits, the scheme has helped to promote the take-up of cleaner, safer and more fuel efficient vehicles.”
The scrappage scheme accounted for 20.9% of all new car registrations in December, on par with the 20.6% level seen since May. Cars account for 98.3% of total vehicles through the scheme. In the second half of 2009 registrations rose by 21.0% and without the SIS, volumes would have been down sharply. The scheme accounted for 3.9% of LCV volumes in December and 3.6% over the May-December period.
The UK car market recorded a strong December to leave the sales tally for 2009 just shy of 2m units. However, analysts forecast that UK car market faces a tough year ahead with the market likely to fall when the scrappage scheme finishes in February.
See also: UK: Car market ends 2009 on a high [includes year-end sales data by brand]
