Our take on the latest Car registrations (Fri 3 Dec 2021)
New car registrations rise 40%pa in November
Used car registrations up 19%pa
Full battery EVs make up 5.5% of registrations since July
The key numbers...
- Total first-time car registrations rose to 22,573 in November, as all passenger vehicle classes posted solid annual gains.
- New cars continue to lead the recovery efforts, up 40%pa, driven by a further boost in new small cars. Used cars rose too, up 19%pa.
- New small car registrations are 26% higher than the same pre-pandemic period in 2019, the largest increase of all classes.
- Annual new car registrations are sitting 6% above pre-pandemic levels and are now back above the high levels seen between 2017-19. However, used cars remain in a weaker position, down 13% from pre-pandemic times.
- Although rental car registrations are slowly rebuilding, they have remained less than half of their pre-pandemic levels over the last year.
- Full battery EVs have doubled their share of registrations since the Clean Car Programme began in July, accounting for 5.5% of total registrations over the last five months. Although diesels have maintained their usual share, hybrids have increased to nearly 20%, and petrol registrations have slipped back from 74% to 68% over the same period.
Rising EV focus
% of total new and used registrations
...and our reaction
- Car registrations strengthened further in November, reinforcing the still upbeat view from consumers to spend and make larger purchases.
- New cars continue to rise stronger than used cars, as the shrinking price difference makes a new car a more realistic choice. Since the start of the pandemic, new car prices have been broadly flat, but used car prices have surged 13%!
- Although car supplies continue to improve, in reality they are still playing catch up and production challenges around the world will weigh on car availability for a while yet. Deloitte now expect the semiconductor chip shortage will persist until 2023.
- The strengthening focus on lower emission vehicles due to the Clean Car Programme is expected to continue into 2022, especially as higher-emitting vehicles have a higher fee from next year.
Latest updates
Premium
Car registrations
Strong car registrations despite Iran War
Thu 2 Jul 2026
Quarterly
+19%pa New car registrations in June 2026 quarter+165%pa EV registrations in June 2026 quarter
Fuel prices off highs, still 19% higher than pre-conflictPremium
Car registrations
EV car registrations surge following fuel price spike
Thu 2 Apr 2026
Quarterly
4x higher Full battery EV registrations than in March 2025Fuel prices rise 30%+ in March 2026Car registrations trending lower before the warCar registrations
Total car registrations slowly lifting from low
Mon 12 Jan 2026
Quarterly
183,099 Total car registrations in the year to December 2025, down 1.1%pa
Quarterly new car registrations up 6.7%pa
Quarterly used car registrations down 4.1%paCar registrations
New car registrations lift the annual total from a low
Wed 1 Oct 2025
Quarterly
182,258 Total car registrations in the year to September, up 5.7%pa
New car registrations up 20%pa from September 2024Used car registrations down 7.3%pa from September 2024