Source:ACEA

17 DEC. 2010

New PASSENGER CAR REGISTRATIONS in the European Union (EU 27) remained in the red but moved up to -7.1% in November to 1 069 268 million vehicles as major markets inverted the previous month abyssal trend and despite the end of car fleet incentives: in Germany, new registrations bettered to -6.2% or 262 262 new units, followed by the UK's leap to -11.5% to 139 875 new vehicles, and Spain's rise to -25.5% or 64 515 new cars. Italy's dropped -21.1% to 121 500 new units. France's new registrations climbed to -10.8% to 193 913 new units, the seventh consecutive month in negative territory similarly to Italy, although late-time buyers rush to benefit from the penultimate car scheme month boosted sales and consequently registrations.  In addition, other member states positive performances contributed to improve by half the EU 27 previous month severe auto market deterioration: new registrations jumped +15.4% in Belgium to 40 537 cars and in Sweden +32.9% to 26 752 units.

East European countries recorded their strongest increase in over a year and shot up +22.3% or twofold the previous month to 78 810 new units, the fifth uninterrupted rise, thanks to all member states figures : new registrations grew +1.7% in the Czech Republic to 15 228 new vehicles, in Romania +34.7% to 11 440 new vehicles, in Slovakia +73.8% to 6 442 cars and in Slovenia +4.6% to 4612 new vehicles. Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania added to the region's performance while Hungary remained the exception and moved down to +0.4% new registrations.

In EFTA countries, new passenger car registrations jumped +17.7% to 37 330 units boosted by Switzerland's +14.4% increase to 25 238 new cars, Norway's +24% to 11 908 vehicles and to a lesser extent Iceland's 184 new registrations or +192%.

Eleven months into the year, the EU 27 -5.7% new registrations decline mirrored contractions observed in major western markets along with some east European countries mechanical dips: France's new registrations fell -2.4% to 2 023 353 million units, Germany's dived -25.2% to 2 685 889 units, Italy's slid -8.2% to 1 929 117 vehicles while Spain's grew +5.9% to 913 073 cars. The UK outperformed Euro area countries with new registrations up +3.4% to 1 907 029 new cars registered.

Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria dragged down east European member states overall performance to -5.3% to 720 549 new vehicles registered while the Czech Republic's +4.9% increase to 154 107 stayed the region's best of class followed by  Estonia's +4% rise, Latvia's +23.3%,Lithuania's +10.8%, and Slovenia's +7%.

Per car manufacturer (excluding EFTA) and in November year-on-year,PSA Group and Renault Group new registrations fell respectively -10.2% (to 141 317 new units) and -12.5% (to 113 365 new vehicles). Consequently, market shares reflected such declines and edged down to 13.2% and to 10.6%. GM Group, BMW, Daimler, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover and Mitsubishi performed inversely with each market penetrations and new registrations on the rise throughout the first 11 months into the year. PSA Group's new registrations by contrast fell -2.5% to 1 669 596 million new cars but market share moved up to 13.5% (from 13.1%). Renault Group remained among the top 10 list with new registrations climbing +4.9% to 1 280 423 new units and strong market penetration, up one percentage point to 10.4%.