Car registrations rose by 14.7% in January, with 131,994 new cars hitting the road, according to industry body the Society of Motoring Manufacturers (SMMT).
This was the best start to the year since January 2020, when 149,279 units were registered, and was the sixth monthly increase in a row.
Sales of battery-powered electric cars jumped by 19.8% to 17,294, while petrol car sales were 14.6% higher at 58,973. Motorists continued to steer clear of diesel though, with sales down by 12.1% to 5,280.
The SMMT predicted the car market will grow by 11.1% this year, to reach 1.79mln units, “despite straitened economy and strained supply chains”.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “The automotive industry is already delivering growth that bucks the national trend and is poised, with the right framework, to accelerate the decarbonisation of the UK economy.”
“The industry and market are in transition, but fragile due to a challenging economic outlook, rising living costs and consumer anxiety over new technology.”
“We look to a budget that will reaffirm the commitment to net zero and provide measures that drive green growth for the sector and the nation" he commented.