The new car market experienced promising growth in March compared to the worrying decline of the last five months. According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the market saw a significant turnaround, up 12.4% to 357,103 new units registered compared to the same period last year. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) recorded their best month ever, up 43.2% to 69,313 units. Plug-in hybrid (PHEVs) registrations also increased by 37.9% to 33,815 units, and hybrids (HEVs) saw a rise of 27.7% to 56,161 units. In 2025, 120,191 new BEVs have been registered so far, compared to 84,314 units at the same point last year, representing a 42.6% increase. As electric vehicles continue to increase their market share, diesel sales have decreased from 23,312 units to 20,967 units (-10.1%), and petrol also saw a drop from 177,585 units to 176,847 units (-0.4%). The growth of BEVs will need to continue to increase to hit the stretching ZEV mandate targets. Sue Robinson, chief executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association, commented on March’s positive growth, citing the market turnaround as pleasing although NFDA still remains cautious. Last week’s Spring Statement was a missed opportunity for the Government to accelerate the electrification of the UK and the recent announcement of a 10% tariff on all UK imports to the US earlier this week, followed by the introduction of a 25% tariff on cars entering the US means the industry faces serious potential roadblocks which could lead to a decline similar to that of earlier this year. Robinson concluded that: “These are challenging times for our sector, yet dealerships have consistently demonstrated an unwavering ability to adapt.” Find the full press release here: NFDA | NEW CAR MARKET RETURNS TO GROWTH IN MARCH, AS EVS RECORD BEST…