Passenger car: European registrations increase over summer

NB: Cumulative figures for Daimler and the category “Others” were revised on 15/09/09 at 14:30

Brussels, 15/09/2009 – The European* market increased over summer with 2.8% and 3.0% more cars registered in July and August respectively, derived from starkly varying results in individual countries. The increase, commenced in June after fourteen months of downturn, is mainly reflecting the impact of incentive schemes in a number of markets across the EU. Eight months into the year, registrations are still 8.2% lower than in the same period last year, amounting to 9,565,517 units.

In July, new passenger car registrations rose to 2.8%, totaling 1,295,711 vehicles in Europe*. Western Europe registered a 5.1% increase which counter-balanced the 25.0% downturn observed in the new EU Member States. Austria (+44.1%) recorded the biggest upturn while the sharpest drops were to be found in Latvia (-86.6%) and Ireland (-77.1%). Except for Spain (-10.9%), the largest markets all posted growth, from +2.4% in the UK, which recorded its first positive result since April 2007, to +3.0% in France, +6.6% in Italy and +29.5% in Germany. In the new EU Member States, only Slovakia (+38.8%), the Czech Republic (+9.3%) and Poland (+5.1%) saw their markets expand while Hungary (-74.0%) and Romania (-50.7%) saw theirs contract significantly.

In August, markets performed similarly although slightlyimproving in Western Europe (+7.8%) and decreasing a little more in the new EU Member States (-35.2%), resulting in an overall 3.0% growth in the whole region*. Driven by fleet renewal incentives, Germany recorded a 28.4% plus, while the UK (+6.0%), France (+7.0%) and Italy (+8.5%) also performed better than a year ago. After fifteen months of downturn, Spain saw its market stabilize (0.0%) in August. In the new EU Member States, Slovakia (+26.2%), the Czech Republic (+16.3%) and Poland (+3.1%) were still on an upward trend, while Hungary (-68.4%) and Romania (-71.9%) faced substantial losses.

Eight months into the year, new registrations were down 6.6% in Western Europe and 26.8% in the new EU Member States, resulting in an overall 8.1% downturn. Germany (+26.8%), Austria (+5.5%), France (+1.1%), Slovakia (+22.3%), the Czech Republic (+9.0%) and Poland (+1.0%) posted growth. Despite better results over the last months, Italy (-7.4%), the UK (-21.5%) and Spain (-32.0%) recorded negative figures on a year-to-date basis, as did the vast majority of countries. In the new EU Member States, Hungary (-49.7%) and Romania (- 59.5%) saw their markets contract sharply.