- Ford suffers sales crash in 2024 – worst in decades
- But Ford Puma retains best selling car title
- All OEMs have met ZEV target says government
- Tesla heads list of best-selling EVs
FOR years Ford was the UK’s best-selling car brand. No question. But it’s a totally different story in 2024. The latest new car registration data reveals the brand hit its lowest ever volume in modern times with just shy of 110,000 units.
The figure is a drop of 34,117 cars over 2023 or 23.7%. The numbers are lower than any of the Covid years and below half of 2019’s unit total of 236,137.
Ford’s continuing lacklustre performance was evident throughout 2024.
By end Q1, the Blue Oval was already the second worst brand in terms of unit drop; a fall of more than 3,000 cars. By H1 the fall had accelerated, the manufacturer was down some 19,000 units.
At this point a Ford spokesman told Broker News: “The figures are due to a combination of factors. Some of it is due to Fiesta production ending last year and while we did have a wholesale volume of those cars that has now gone. So there is a volume gap there. Plus there is the launch this year of the Explorer and there will be a second electric model coming along in the autumn.
“Puma and Kuga are going through refreshes so there is some disruption there. However, it’s very much a year of two halves and we’ll see the numbers correct themselves over the rest of the year.”
As the year-end figures demonstrate so painfully, this correction did not happen. Instead the speed of decline accelerated. Speaking off-the-record, one rival manufacturer senior executive told Broker News that it was “like Ford has given up”. Broker News has contacted Ford for a response.
Despite the disastrous performance drop, Ford Puma is best selling model
One bright patch for Ford is that it retained the crown for best selling model in 2024 with the Puma. Registrations for the small SUV reached 48,340 for the year just ahead of the Kia Sportage which sold 47,163 units. Third place went to the Nissan Qashqai with 42,418 registrations.
However, in December – a month all about battery electric cars – the Puma took fifth spot in the best sellers’ chart.
Tesla took the top two places in December’s model ranking with the Model Y selling more than 5,000 units and the Model 3 selling nearly 3,500.
Third and fourth went to the Nissan Qashqai and MINI Cooper, respectively.
Government declares 22% ZEV win
Despite several manufacturers both large and small missing their ZEV Mandate targets – in some cases by significant margins – the Department for Transport has said it’s confident the 22% target for 2024 was hit and that “no manufacturer will need to pay fines”.
The government department issued the statement to coincide with the 2024 year-end new car registration figures which hit 1.95 million new cars, 2.6% up on 2023.
“December has been another record month for new electric cars, with nearly one in three of all vehicles sold being battery electric and 382k EVs sold across 2024,” said a DfT spokesperson.
“Thanks to the flexibilities in the ZEV Mandate, we’re confident the whole market has complied with the 22% target and that no car manufacturer will need to pay fines.
“We’ve invested over £2.3 billion to support industry and help consumers make the switch, rolled out more than 72,000 public chargers, and launched a consultation to invite the sector to shape how we achieve the transition to ZEVs.
“Getting this transition right as more people make a switch to electric vehicles will support the growth of the UK market and will provide an opportunity to tap into a multibillion-pound industry that will create high paid jobs for decades to come.”
Looking at the bigger picture, fleets dominate 2024
Source: SMMT
The overall market growth was driven entirely by company car registrations with fleet numbers up 11.8%. However, business numbers fell 3.1% with retail sales down 8.7% in 2024.
Despite the DfT assertion the 22% was hit, the SMMT figures revealed the BEV mix reached 19.6% for 2024. However, the 22% figure has always been balanced with individual manufacturer reductions due to CO2 improvements from hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
“The final update for new car registrations in 2024 reflects consistent trends throughout the year. Fleet purchases drove the market while private purchases waned. However, it is encouraging to see full year battery electric vehicle sales accounting for 20% of new cars on the road. Albeit shy of the 22% goal, this consistent growth is promising for the year ahead. The industry’s primary focus should now be laser-focussed on economic growth, recovery and working closely with the government to make meaningful, achievable steps towards zero-emission vehicle adoption.”
Philip Nothard, Insight Director, Cox Automotive
With many manufacturers keen to hit their ZEV target and avoid fines or buying credits from rival firms, December saw a massive leap in EV registrations, taking the month’s EV mix above 30%. The December EV boost is now a regular occurrence in the official figures.
Many manufacturers pushed electric cars into the market through heavy discounting and fast-turn fleets. However, the Centre for Automotive Research has also reported that several car makers, including Renault and Stellantis, have increased the price of their ICE vehicles in Europe. Such a move in the UK would both improve OEM profitability needed to fund the EV discounts, but also give the impression that EVs are reaching price parity with ICE cars.
Winners and losers in the December 2024 market
While Ford was the standout loser in 2024, this has detracted from a few other shocking performances.
➡Vauxhall was down more than 21,000 units
➡Audi was down more than 15,000 units
➡Toyota dropped more than 8,000 units over 2023.
Vauxhall’s drop, and to a lesser extent Fiat, Citroen and DS, pulled parent firm Stellantis down significantly in the UK. Stellantis’ total for 2024 was down by nearly 13,000 cars. This figure comes despite Peugeot jumping more than 6,500 cars and Jeep by almost 6,000.
Despite Vauxhall’s overall poor performance the OEM claimed to be the UK’s best-selling electric car brand across retail and Motability.
Audi, together with Porsche, put a dampener on parent firm VW Group’s UK performance. However, VW Group was still up on units sold in 2024 at 455,435 against 2023’s 452,984.
Retailers that Broker News spoke to suggested Audi’s push into EVs has dented appeal with retail buyers.
Commenting on its performance a Toyota spokesperson said:
“It’s business as usual, in terms of sales and deliveries, for Toyota in the UK. Where the ZEV mandate is concerned, Toyota, through its multi-pathway technology approach, will continue to support and consult with the UK government and other key stakeholders towards our shared ambition of eliminating carbon emissions from everyday mobility.”
On the up in 2024 were those brands which had attractive new product. Volvo increased registrations by more than 16,000 units thanks to the new EX30 and reintroducing estate cars, while Renault is offering high value electric cars such as the Renault Scenic.
Mercedes, now having completed its second year under the agency model, is recovering the initial drop as it seeks more ways to support sales of the three-pointed star.
Top 5 brands by unit increase YTD
Bottom 5 brands by unit decrease YTD
1 Volvo +16,224
2 Renault +15,422
3 Mercedes +14,975
4 BMW +13,531
5 Nissan +10,986
5 Porsche -4,241
4 Toyota -8,420
3 Audi -15,054
2 Vauxhall -21,522
1 Ford -34,117
Outlook for 2025
Looking ahead, the ZEV target for 2025 is 28% which could be a challenge for OEMs that had to push to hit 22% in 2024, however, Nick Williams, Managing Director at Lex Autolease (below), is positive about the market’s prospects.
“Manufacturers have seen significant growth in electric vehicle sales over the course of 2024, with recovery from supply chain disruptions and more competitive pricing helping to boost purchases. While challenges persist, there is a quiet confidence that 2025 will see the sector successfully continue to help the country in its transition to a more sustainable future,” he said.
Read our analysis of November 2024 new car registrations
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Ralph Morton is the leading journalist in the leasing broker sector and editor of Broker News, the website which provides information and news for BVRLA-registered leasing brokers. He also writes extensively on the fleet and leasing market in both the UK and Europe.
