New car sales fell 6 percent last month.
According to the industry body Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 144,288 new cars were registered in October.
That compares with 153,529 in the same month last year.
According to industry body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, 144,288 new cars were registered in October. That compares with 153,529 in the same month last year
The SMMT said the drop equates to a £350m loss of turnover.
The decline was driven by a double-digit decline in deliveries of petrol and diesel vehicles, by 14.2 percent and 20.5 percent respectively.
There was a 1.6 percent decline in the use of hybrid electric vehicles (EVs) and a 3.2 percent decline in plug-in hybrid EVs.
Pure battery EVs bucked the trend, growing 24.5 percent thanks to the introduction of new models and heavy discounts.
The SMMT said the number of available pure battery EV models has increased by 38 percent since the start of the year to more than 125.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘Manufacturers’ huge investment in model selection and market support is helping to make Britain the second largest EV market in Europe.’
Dan Caesar, boss of campaign group EVUK, said: ‘Discounts are causing new car buyers to focus on battery-electric vehicles as they become more affordable.’