UK sales rise 30-fold in April from last year's lockdown low

British new car sales rose by more than 3,000 percent in April as the reopening of dealerships in England helped to boost figures compared to the same time last year when the first lockdown almost completely wiped out volumes.

Registrations were141,583 vehicles, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), up from just 4,321 in April 2020, which was the lowest level of any month since February 1946 as plants and showrooms shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dealerships reopened to the public from April 12 in England while delivery, click and collect and online services also facilitated purchases. Plants have continued to operate with COVID-safe measures in place.

But last month's performance was still 13 percent below the 2010-2019 average, the SMMT said.

"After one of the darkest years in automotive history, there is light at the end of the tunnel," said SMMT CEO Mike Hawes.

"A full recovery for the sector is still some way off, but with showrooms open and consumers able to test drive the latest, cleanest models, the industry can begin to rebuild."

The SMMT highlighted the move toward electrification, with plug-in vehicles and full-electric vehicles capturing 6.8 percent and 6.5 percent of the market respectively.

Britain's upbeat economic outlook and the gradual reopening of the country after the pandemic encouraged the SMMT to revise upward its forecast for annual sales from 1.83 million to about 1.86 million, a 14 percent increase on 2020.

Through April, UK sales rose 16 percent to 567,108

Reuters contributed to this report