2013 fleet car registrations show rising business confidence
Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) show that 2,264,737 cars were registered in 2013, up 10.8% on 2012 and exceeding the organisation’s 2.25 million forecast for the year.
Within the fleet sector, full-year registrations rose 5.7% from 1,025,501 to 1,084,279 units whilst December saw an impressive 25.8% rise from 66,960 to 84,213 units.
Meanwhile full-year registrations by the sub-25 “business” sector rose 18.0% from 89,668 to 105,836 units whilst the sector’s December registrations were up 35.9% from 5,617 to 7,631.
Commenting on the news, BVRLA chief executive Gerry Keaney said: ‘Fleet and business sales were responsible for more than 50% of new car registrations, which demonstrates the vital role road transport plays in driving the UK economy.’
The outlook for 2014 is also positive, with small but stable growth forecast. ‘Hopefully this growth will be well balanced. It is vital that vehicle manufacturers take a disciplined approach to self-registrations,’ said Keaney.
Natalie Middleton
Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.
