Automotive News Europe — 2023-08-30
Automotive Industry
New-car sales in Europe rose in July as growing demand for electric vehicles and improved parts availability helped fuel a 12th consecutive month of growth.
Registrations in the EU, EFTA and U.K. markets increased 17& to 1.02 m vehicles, industry association ACEA said in a statement on 30 August.
Sales of battery-electric cars surged 62% to 149,219, while deliveries of diesel models declined 9% to 128,135. Gasoline car sales were up 6% to 369,649.
Volkswagen Group sold the most passenger cars in Europe in July across all fuel types with 280,294 registrations, up 19% from a year ago.
Stellantis sales slipped 3.3% to 160,251 vehicles. Stellantis' deliveries have been hit by logistics problems.
Markets including Germany, France and Spain saw double-digit sales growth.
Cloudy outlook
Automakers have been working through orders that stacked up during a prolonged period of supply issues. Now that shortages of semiconductors and other critical components have eased, the industry’s outlook is clouded by prospects for higher living and borrowing costs taking more of a toll on consumers.
While Tesla’s Model Y was the best-selling vehicle in Europe in the first half, local manufacturers are preparing to fight back.
New battery-powered models from Volkswagen Group, Stellantis and BMW will hit showrooms in the coming months, with several making their debut at next week’s IAA Mobility auto show in Munich.
Buyers in Germany registered 48,682 full-electric cars in July, up 69% from a year ago and by far the most among European markets.
In the U.K. — where London drivers are now subject to more stringent emissions rules — sales soared 88% to 23,010 units.
France ranked third with 16,867 battery-electric vehicles delivered.
Through July, European sales rose 18% to 7.61 m. Despite a rebound in sales, year-to-date volumes are still 22% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.