According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), new car sales across the European Union saw a positive turnaround at the close of the year, with significant contributions from the Spanish market. December witnessed a 5.1% increase in new car registrations year-over-year, reaching 910,505 units, which marked a recovery from the 1.9% downturn recorded in November.
In examining the primary markets, Spain led with an impressive 28.8% growth, followed by France, which experienced a modest 1.5% rise. Conversely, Germany and Italy faced declines, with sales dropping by 7.1% and 4.9%, respectively.
In the realm of car types, battery-electric vehicles accounted for 15.9% of the market share in November. Petrol cars maintained their dominance with a 33.3% share, while hybrid-electric vehicles secured their position, capturing 30.9% of the market.
Battery-electric car registrations decreased by 10.2%, largely due to notable declines in Germany and France. Plug-in hybrid vehicles, however, saw a 4.9% increase in registrations last month.
Sales of petrol cars fell by 1.8%, with declines evident across all major markets except Spain. The diesel car segment experienced a sharp contraction of 15.0%, driven by double-digit declines throughout most EU markets.
Throughout the year 2024, new car registrations experienced a slight uptick of 0.8%, totaling approximately 10.6 million units. Spain continued to demonstrate strong growth with a notable 7.1% increase, according to the ACEA. Meanwhile, the other three major markets experienced downturns in sales.
