Electric Vehicle Registrations Drive 4.9% Rise in Europe’s October Car Sales

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has reported that new car sales in Europe rose by 4.9% in October. This improvement was driven largely by a notable increase in registrations of electric vehicles compared to diesel and petrol cars, according to a Reuters report.

This year, the European automotive industry has faced multiple challenges, including trade tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, a slowdown in the Chinese market, and sluggish progress in transitioning to electric vehicles. Concerns were further heightened recently due to a potential supply shortage involving Dutch chipmaker Nexperia.

According to ACEA data, a total of 1.092 million cars were sold in October across the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the European Free Trade Association. Among major markets, Germany and the UK recorded higher vehicle registrations compared to last year. Sales for Volkswagen, Stellantis, and Renault grew by 6.5%, 4.6%, and 10.6% respectively. However, Stellantis’ overall sales for the year remain 4.7% lower than the previous year.

Tesla’s sales dropped by 48.5% year-on-year, while Chinese brand BYD saw its sales surge by 206.8%, boosting its market share to 1.6%. Registrations for SAIC Motor, also Chinese-owned, increased by 35.9%.

In the EU alone, total car sales rose by 5.8%. Registrations of battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid vehicles increased by 38.6%, 43.2%, and 9.4% respectively—together representing 63.9% of all EU registrations. However, ACEA noted that despite these positive developments, overall sales still remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

DBTech/BMT/OR