LONDON, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The British new car market dropped by 4.1 percent in April, compared with the same period one year earlier, according to figures released Tuesday by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Data showed that 161,064 cars were registered across Britain in April, hitting the second lowest April units since 2012.

Figures showed that most vehicle segments fell in April, with registrations of popular supermini and small family cars declining 14.1 percent and 10.6 percent year on year, respectively.

Notably, registrations for alternatively fuelled vehicles grew by 12.7 percent, with hybrid petrol-electric vehicles remaining the most popular types, up 31.1 percent.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, said, "While it's great to see buyers respond to the growing range of pure electric cars on offer, they still only represent a tiny fraction of the market and are just one of a number of technologies that will help us on the road to zero."

"Industry is working hard to deliver on this shared ambition, providing ever cleaner cars to suit every need," said Hawes. "We need policies that help get the latest, cleanest vehicles on the road more quickly and support market transition for all drivers."

"This includes investment in infrastructure and long-term incentives to make new technologies as affordable as possible," he said.