Sales drop-off
As Steven Ward says on page 48, we need fresh new car sales to feed the trade-in stock back into the system to keep the used-car market healthy.
Unfortunately, December saw another monthly drop in new car sales year-on-year. No surprise I guess, what with a December General Election taking place and the (still) uncertainty of the ‘B-word’ – that word that has floated around for two-and-a-half years.
I think there’s more to it than the above though. Some potential new car purchasers will be confused. Confused as to which engine to choose. Either diesel, petrol, BEV, PHEV, HEV, MHEV diesel or MHEV petrol...
What does it all mean? Well, according to the latest SMMT figures, diesel sales have dropped 19% during December against 2018 results. Petrol sales increased slightly by 2.6% in December. But the main increase in new owners’ names on logbooks – as expected due to the manufacturers offering more of them to the market – is hybrid and electric vehicles.
BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) sales have zoomed up by 220.7% in December (year-on-year). That wasn’t the biggest climber though, as manufacturers have introduced MHEV (Mild Hybrid Electric Vehicle) diesel and petrol models too. MHEV diesels sales saw an increase of 438.4% in December – equating to 3322 actual sales (just 617 in Dec 2018).
So, where we thought diesel sales were dropping off due to forthcoming emission restrictions being announced in some towns in the UK (see page 19), the figures are masked by the new MHEV models which, incidentally, do not have an ‘electric-only’ mode of driving force (like a full hybrid).
While each manufacturer has a different set-up of MHEV, each will have a lithium-ion battery (some on a 48V system) and a motor generator to help the internal combustion engine in terms of coasting, restarting and adding some power when required. Plus it is claimed this will cut fuel consumption and reduce emissions. The lithium-ion battery is recharged during deceleration and/or regenerative braking.
For other sales, PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) rose by 21.8% in December against 2018 figures, HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) 34.4% and MHEV petrol 265.9%, which equates to 3180 sales in December.
The biggest uncertainty for those who wish to take the BEV route is the lack of charging point infrastructure. With 37,850 BEVS sold during 2019, not all owners can charge their vehicle at home and will rely on forecourt and shopping centre charging points to top-up. And there is the problem as far as I can tell. One of my local supermarkets has a newly-tarmacked area for blue-badge holders – of which there are roughly 30 parking spots – with just two spaces allocated for electric charging zones. That’s not enough surely?