New car sales continue to rise, but private demand for electric cars wanes

New car sales grew for the 21st consecutive month, according to official data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The SMMT's latest monthly sales figures show that 134,274 cars were registered last month, representing a 1% year-on-year increase.

However, the rise in sales was driven by fleet purchases (i.e. sales to businesses that buy more than 25 cars in a year), which were 18.5% higher last month compared to April 2023.

New car sales to private buyers actually fell 17.7% year on year.

Best cars for 2024: whatever type of car you're after, make sure it's a Which? Best Buy

Electric car sales down for private buyers

The figures also revealed a marked drop in demand by private buyers for electric cars.

Although sales of new electric cars increased by 10.7%, just 14.6% of these went to private buyers (compared to 22% in April last year). The rest were purchased by business (companies that purchase under 25 cars in a year) and fleet customers.

Petrol models accounted for the majority of cars sold last month, although their market share fell when compared to April 2023. 

Commenting on the figures, the SMMT’s Mike Hawes said: 'The new car market continues to grow even in the quieter months, driven primarily by fleet demand. This is particularly true of the electric vehicle sector, where the absence of government incentives for private buyers is having a marked effect. 

'Although attractive deals on EVs are in place, manufacturers cannot fund the mass market transition single-handedly.'

Best electric cars: view the models that score highly in our tests.

Most popular new cars in April 2024

According to the latest stats from the SMMT, these were the top-five best-selling new cars last month. Click through to our reviews to get our expert opinion on them.

1. Ford Puma (from £24,764)

One of the indirect replacements for the long-running Ford Fiesta, this small SUV tops the SMMT table for April. The Puma has been facelifted for 2024, with a larger touchscreen and revised styling.

Find out how it performed overall in our full Ford Puma (2020-) review.

2. Volkswagen Polo (£20,028)

Even though this generation of Polo has now been on sale for seven years, it’s still proving popular. It’s available with a range of petrol engines and is the brand’s smallest new model.

Read our full review of the Volkswagen Polo (2017-) to see how it performed in our lab and road tests.

3. Audi A3 (from £26,859)

Updated this year with better interior materials and more equipment as standard, Audi's A3 has had a strong start to 2024. It’s available in hatchback and saloon guises, too.

Our Audi A3 Saloon (2020-) and Audi A3 Sportback (2021-) reviews give the definitive verdict on these two cars.

4. Nissan Qashqai (from £26,830)

Another model that was recently updated with significant styling changes, the Qashqai is a medium-sized SUV. It’s available as a petrol mild hybrid or with Nissan’s ‘e-power’ full hybrid system.

Find out how both models fared in our Nissan Qashqai (2021-) and Nissan Qashqai e-power (2022-) reviews.

5. Volkswagen Golf (from £27,035)

The Golf has remained a popular car in the UK despite criticisms of its touchscreen system. Unsurprisingly, VW gave the Golf a significant update in 2024, with a new touchscreen and a focus on improving the usability of the cabin.

Find out how the Volkswagen Golf (2020-) performed in our tests. Alternatively, read our review of the Volkswagen Golf GTE (2021-).

Top 10 sellers of April 2024 in full

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