Deliveries of new cars in Northern Ireland fell by 3.2% in November, with 3,318 vehicles joining the road compared to 3,428 on the same month last year, latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show.
But in the year to date, the figure of 46,247 registrations in the north is 6.6% ahead of where it was a year ago (43,380) - a better performance than any other UK region.
The Kia Sportage was again the top seller in Northern Ireland in November with 189 new models sold, well ahead of the Hyundai Tucson (101) and MG HS (84).
Completing the top five locally were the Peugeot 3008 (78) and Nissan Qashqai (72).
In the year to date in Northern Ireland, the leading new car registrations are the Kia Sportage (1,885), Ford Puma (1,365), Hyundai Tucson (1,259), Hyundai Kona (975) and Nissan Qashqai (964).
In the UK as a whole, the new car market declined by 1.9% in November, with 153,610 deliveries made.
It is the second consecutive monthly decline, and the third decline in four months as the market contracts amid the race to meet tough EV market share targets.
Demand from private buyers, among whom uptake has waned for two years, dropped by 3.3%, accounting for fewer than four in ten (38.1%) new registrations. Fleet purchases, which represent the bulk (59.9%) of the market, fell by 1.1% while low-volume business demand rose by 5.2%.
November saw double-digit falls in registrations of new petrol (17.7%) and diesel (10.1%) cars, with petrol remaining the most popular power train. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid uptake also declined by 3.6% and 1.2% respectively.
Battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations, meanwhile, rose for an 11th successive month in the UK, up 58.4% to 38,581 units, representing 25.1% of the overall market but driven by heavy manufacturer discounting.
With the best market share since December 2022, November is just the second month this year in which BEV uptake has reached mandated levels, albeit against the backdrop of a declining overall market.
The SMMT has said previously that the UK’s current transition to electric vehicles could have a “devastating” impact on the automotive industry.
The trade association said the market has failed to keep step with the targets set out in the government’s zero emission vehicle mandate.
Its analysis found weak demand for electric vehicles (EVs) combined with “the need to fulfil ever-rising sales quotas” will cost the industry some £6 billion this year, and called for “urgent market intervention”.
This has the “potential for devastating impacts on business viability and jobs”, SMMT said.
The organisation’s chief executive Mike Hawes said: “Manufacturers are investing at unprecedented levels to bring new zero emission models to market and spending billions on compelling offers.
“But such incentives are unsustainable – industry cannot deliver the UK’s world-leading ambitions alone.
“It is right, therefore, that government urgently reviews the market regulation and the support necessary to drive it, given EV registrations need to rise by over a half next year.
“Ambitious regulation, a bold plan for incentives and accelerated infrastructure rollout are essential for success, else UK jobs, investment and decarbonisation will be at further risk.”
