UK car sales skid on global chip shortage

The UK auto sector suffered its worst October sales in 30 years, also as a result of surging inflation, tax rises and weaker consumer confidence, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said in a statement.

“Electrified vehicles, however, continue to buck the trend, with almost one in six new cars registered this year capable of zero-emission motoring, growth that is fundamental to the UK’s ability to hit its net-zero targets,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes.

Britain’s mainly foreign-owned automakers sold a combined 106,265 vehicles in the UK during October, down 24.6 percent with the same month in 2020, the SMMT said.

It was the fourth monthly decline in a row.

A global shortage in computer chips — key components in all types of vehicle — has held back global car production in recent months.

Car sales in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, also fell sharply in October, data showed on Wednesday.