New automotive registrations fell to their lowest ranges in September for greater than 20 years, based on figures from the business’s commerce physique.

The Society of Motor Producers and Merchants (SMMT) stated new registrations dropped 35% in contrast with the identical month a yr earlier.

Falling automotive manufacturing has been blamed on an ongoing international scarcity of pc chips.

Nonetheless, gross sales of electrical automobiles are rising quickly, the SMMT stated.

Whereas the automotive market as a complete has suffered by way of the pandemic, greater than 32,000 electrical automobiles had been registered in a single month in September, nearly as many as registered in the entire of 2019 – 37,850 electrical automobiles.

In the meantime, simply 214,000 automobiles had been bought in September – the bottom complete for the month because the present registration system for Nice Britain was launched 23 years in the past.

Entire-year figures for 2020 noticed new automotive registrations fall to their lowest degree in practically three a long time resulting from falling manufacturing.

About 1.63 million new automobiles had been registered in 2020, in contrast with 2.3 million in 2019 – a decline of 29%.

It was additionally the most important one-year fall since World Warfare Two, when factories had been turned over to army manufacturing, the SMMT stated in January.

Second-hand automotive gross sales within the UK have greater than doubled in the previous few months resulting from a scarcity of latest fashions.

Yr-on-year, the used automotive market grew 108.6% within the second quarter, with greater than 2.2 million autos altering fingers, based on the commerce physique.

Elevated demand led to an increase in gross sales of older used automobiles, with solely 12.7% of all autos bought being made inside the final three years, the bottom on report.

In August, SMMT boss Mike Hawes stated many customers had turned to the second-hand market as a result of scarcity of latest automobiles at a time of “elevated want for private mobility with folks remaining cautious of public transport as they return to work”.

When lockdowns pressured manufacturing strains to halt, microchip producers diverted the chips that will usually go into new automobiles to the buyer electronics market, and provide is but to completely get well.

New automotive gross sales are falling – whereas demand for used automobiles is rising. It is a query of availability.

The chip scarcity has pressured automotive makers around the globe to curb manufacturing, and focus their efforts on explicit fashions – these that are most worthwhile to make and promote.

The result’s that ready instances for brand new automobiles have been getting longer. Shortage can be pushing up costs, with reductions being slashed. That could be deterring consumers.

The stoop in gross sales is dangerous information for the business general – however larger costs could possibly be good for the carmakers long run.

Clients, although, may must get used to paying extra.