UK car sales fall for first time since 2011, driven by diesel fears

Madeleine Cuff
clock • 3 min read

But sales of 'alternatively fuelled vehicles', including electric and hybrids, hit record high

Confusion over the future of diesel vehicles have driven the first slump in UK sales of new cars since 2011, data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) revealed today. After five...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

Madeleine Cuff
Author spotlight

Madeleine Cuff

View profile
More from Madeleine Cuff

From SEMTA to Enginuity: Engineering skills body rebrands

Inside Enginuity's plan to build a workforce for the future

More on Automotive

Royal Mail celebrates delivery of 9,000th electric van
Automotive

Royal Mail celebrates delivery of 9,000th electric van

Firm hails latest addition to its delivery fleet as a 'major milestone' in its journey towards net zero by 2040

Amber Rolt
clock 07 August 2026 • 2 min read
EV market revs up as July posts 50 per cent growth rate
Automotive

EV market revs up as July posts 50 per cent growth rate

Latest figures show electric vehicles accounted for over 27 per cent of new car registrations last month, as demand for petrol and diesel models continued to fall

James Murray
James Murray
clock 04 August 2026 • 4 min read
'Design flaw': EV drivers who can not charge at home face £172m-a-year VAT penalty, New AutoMotive claims
Automotive

'Design flaw': EV drivers who can not charge at home face £172m-a-year VAT penalty, New AutoMotive claims

EV drivers without a driveway pay four times more in VAT than government's electricity tax cut saves the average household, new analysis finds

Stuart Stone
Stuart Stone
clock 04 August 2026 • 5 min read