On February 4, preliminary data released by the British Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Dealers (SMMT) showed that new car registrations in the UK surged 25% month-on-month in January, the biggest rebound in seven months, thanks to a surge in demand for electric vehicles. Data show that one-fifth of new car sales in January were battery-powered cars, of which sales of pure electric vehicles more than doubled, and sales of plug-in hybrids increased by 45%. Due to the impact of chip shortage, the number of new car registrations in the UK in 2021 increased by only 1% year-on-year. SMMT has previously said it expects sales to rebound this year as chip shortages ease and demand for battery-powered cars grows. The association will release more detailed January data later on Friday.