Car sales and supply constraints: winners and losers in 2022

Last year was a helter-skelter year for carmakers with component shortages playing havoc with vehicle supplies.

Brands that came under pressure included SEAT, which saw a -48.7% decline in sales for the year while Jaguar saw a -35.5% fall in registrations.

Subaru also came under pressure during the year with registrations falling 34%, while Volvo fell -24.4% and Lexus -23.1%.

At the other end of the sales spectrum Cupra saw registrations rise 89.6% while Polestar was up 79.3%.

MG Motor, the Motor Trader Industry Awards Carmaker of the Year, saw registrations rise 66.8% while Testla saw a 56.7% in volumes.

DS also turned in a strong performance, up 55.6%, closely followed by Dacia, up 54.9%. Porsche saw sales rise 33.3%.

The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT),  which released the figures, said that despite underlying demand, pandemic-related global parts shortages saw overall registrations for the year fall -2% to 1.61 million, around 700,000 units below pre-Covid levels.

SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said things were looking more optimistic but supply would remain an issue for dealers.

“Looking ahead, supply chains are beginning to stabilise and although the shortage of semiconductors is expected to ease, erratic supply will likely impact manufacturing throughout 2023.

“The most recent market outlook, published in October 2022, anticipates around 1.8 million new car registrations in 2023, worth around £8.4 billion in additional turnover.”

Source: SMMT