The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) revealed this Thursday that new car sales in the European Union (EU) recorded an 18.3% decline in August compared to the same month in 2023.
According to ACEA data, the largest markets in the EU showed negative performance, with Germany leading the decline (-27.8%), followed by France (-24.3%), Italy (-13.4%), and Spain (-6.5%).
In the year-to-date, from January to August, registrations of new vehicles increased by 1.4%, nearly reaching 7.2 million units, with Spain growing by 4.5% and Italy by 3.8%. On the other hand, the French and German markets saw their results stagnate (-0.5% and -0.3%, respectively).
In August, the number of new 100% electric cars fell by 43.9% to 92,627 units (compared to 165,204 in August 2023), with their overall market share dropping to 14.4% from 21% in the same period last year. This was
Contributing to this sharp decline in sales of 100% electric vehicles was the market in Germany (-68.8%) and France (-33.1%). Globally, from January to August, 902,011 new fully electric vehicles were registered, representing 12.6% of the market.
As for new plug-in hybrid cars, they recorded a decline of 22.3% in August, with decreases in all major markets. In August, plug-in hybrids accounted for 7.1% of the total car market, down from 7.4% last year, with 45,590 units sold.
The hybrid vehicle market is growing, having recorded an increase of 6.6% in the eighth month of the year, with 201,552 units sold. Three of the four largest markets for this segment saw gains: Spain (+12.6%), France (+12.5%), and Italy (+2.5%), while Germany (-0.1%) remained stable. The market share of hybrids reached 31.3%, up from 24% in August 2023.
As for the sales of gasoline engine models, the ACEA revealed that they fell by 17.1%, with all four main markets experiencing significant losses: France (-36.6%), Italy (-18.8%), Spain (-17.4%), and Germany (-7.4%). Gasoline cars now represent 33.1% of the market, down from 32.6% in August of last year.
On the other hand, the market for diesel engine cars recorded a decline of 26.4%, representing a market share of 11.2% in the European Union in August. Double-digit reductions in sales of this type of vehicle were recorded in nearly all European markets.
