August 2024 EU Car Registrations Plummet

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on August 2024 EU Car Registrations Plummet

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During August 2024, new EU car registrations saw a sharp decrease (-18.3%) with negative results across the region’s four major markets: double-digit losses were witnessed in Germany (-27.8% at 197,322), France (-24.3% at 85,977), and Italy (-13.4% at 69,161), with the Spanish market declining by 6.5% at 52,322, the ACEA* trade group said today.

Year-to-Date new car registrations increased by 1.4%, at ~7.2 million units. Spain (+4.5% at 671,551) and Italy (+3.8% at 69,161) showed positive but modest performance. French and German markets stagnated (-0.5% at 1,126,900 and -0.3% at 1,907,226 respectively).

New Eu Car Registrations By Power Source

Ken Zino of AutoInformed.com on August 2024 EU Car Registrations Plummet

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In August, battery-electric cars accounted for 14.4% of the EU car market, down from 21% the previous year. This represents the fourth consecutive month of decline this year, contrasting sharply with the almost consistent month-on-month increases last year. Plug-in hybrid car registrations were also marked by a sizeable 22.3% decline.

The combined share of petrol and diesel cars also dropped slightly to 44.3%, down from 45.1%. Electric cars In August 2024, registrations of battery-electric (BEV) cars dropped by 43.9% to 92,627units (compared to 165,204 the same period last year), with their total market share slipping to 14.4% from 21% a year before. This was driven by the spectacular drop in the two biggest markets for BEV cars: Germany (-68.8%) and France (-33.1%). From January to August,902,011 new battery-electric cars were registered, representing 12.6% of the market.

Plug-in hybrid car registrations saw a decrease (-22.3%) last month, with declines recorded in all their 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.

Hybrid-electric vehicles are the only vehicle type that saw growth in August, with car registrations rising by 6.6% to 201,552 units. Three of the four largest markets for this segment recorded gains: Spain (+12.6%), France (+12.5%), and Italy (+2.5%), while Germany (-0.1%) remained stable. The hybrid-electric market share reached 31.3%, up from24% in August 2023.

Petrol and diesel cars

In August 2024, petrol car sales dropped by 17.1%, all four key markets recording significant declines: France (-36.6%), Italy (-18.8%), Spain (-17.4%), and Germany (-7.4%). Petrol cars now represent 33.1% of the market, down from 32.6% in August last year.

The diesel car market saw a decline of 26.4%, resulting in a 11.2% share of the market. Double-digit decreases were observed in almost all European markets.

*ACEA: The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the 16 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Renault Group, Stellantis, Toyota Motor Europe, Volkswagen Group, Volvo Cars, and Volvo Group.

About Ken Zino

Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
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