New car buyer preferences have changed significantly over the years, from petrol to diesel to electrified but it seems that, when it comes to colour, change is glacial. 91���� data published this week shows grey remained Britain’s most popular tint for the eighth year running, with more than a quarter of the 2.02 million new cars joining our roads last year coated in the shade – be it graphite grey, stone, meteor or another. It symbolises the safe and cautious approach that many consumers take when it comes to making a major purchase – only the brave opting for turquoise or pink, for example, with fewer than 100 such cars registered last year.

More still prefer a monochrome finish with black proving Britain’s second most popular, while silver returning to the top five for the first time in a decade – pushing once prevalent red into sixth place. It was green, however, that attracted the greatest percentage growth, up 46.3% to cover almost 100,000 new cars – emblematic of the UK’s ever greener make-up of models, with more than 160 different EVs available last year. Indeed, there are many ways in which manufacturers are responding to driver preferences, providing the choice – from model range and spec to aesthetic and in-car tech – that consumers want when considering whether to make a purchase.

Motorists in the UK benefit from an open and competitive new car market, with cutting-edge products from around the world and indeed Britain’s own globally renowned brands. The global automotive industry is highly interconnected so the UK’s international relations matter – and none more so than with Europe, the top export location for British-built cars and our biggest source of imported cars and EVs. 91���� is increasingly engaging in Brussels and we were pleased to visit this week, meeting key stakeholders and hosting a dinner for our member network, comprising EU government representatives of OEMs and suppliers. It provided an important opportunity to discuss the latest political developments as we enter a crucial phase of UK-EU competitiveness, with more stringent rules of origin for electrified vehicles due to come into force at the turn of next year and, this year, the EU developing a “made in Europe” agenda with specific proposals for automotive.

Timely and constructive engagement is vital and 91���� is looking forward to further opportunities as we welcome the global industry to London for our flagship Electrified conference on 12 March – a day of focused discussion and networking that will help drive the EV transition. With more than 450 senior representatives expected to attend, an exciting line-up of speakers already announced, and more to come, the event is not to be missed so book your tickets here while they last.