When NFDA boss Sue Robinson says “2021 was a roller coaster year for new car registrations” there’s an element of ‘no shit, Sherlock’ about it. But here at Need To Know Motors we reckon Sue knows her stuff and we rate her highly.
So we sit up and listen when she says that the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) is feeling optimistic about this new year.
Yes, says the NFDA, the overall 2021 market was 28.7% down on pre-pandemic levels but there is great encouragement from various places, not least the electric vehicle market: 190,727 battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were registered in 2021, alongside 114,554 plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), accounting for 18.5% of new car registrations in 2021. In December, sales of BEVs grew by 26.4%.
Sue says that an NFDA poll shows that over three quarters of franchised vehicle dealers are optimistic about the level of demand in the year ahead as consumer confidence improves.
“Throughout 2022, we are confident retailers will continue to show their resilience and ability to meet buyers’ demand with growing footfall levels in showrooms and an ever-improving online offering from dealers,” Sue Robinson says.