European car sales falter as consumers delay purchases amid economic woes, trade tensions
Sales of petrol and diesel cars posted the biggest declines, outweighing growth in EVs and hybrid vehicles
European car sales dipped in April as weaker economic growth and uncertainty due to global trade tensions prompted consumers to hold off on larger purchases.
New-car registrations slipped 0.3 per cent to 1.08 million units, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) said on Tuesday. Major markets including Germany, France and the UK posted declines.
Lacklustre demand at home is adding to a difficult picture for European carmakers as they face tariffs in the US and intense competition in China, the biggest electric-vehicle (EV) market. Volkswagen, Volvo Car and Mercedes-Benz Group are among manufacturers that are cutting costs to deal with the downturn.
Sales of petrol and diesel models posted the biggest declines, outweighing growth in purchases of EVs and hybrid vehicles. While deliveries of fully electric models rose 28 per cent last month, they still make up a smaller share of the market than some analysts had expected. BloombergNEF earlier this year forecast EVs to make up over 30 per cent of sales in 2025. They accounted for 17 per cent in April.
“The share of battery-electric vehicles is slowly gaining momentum, but growth remains incremental and uneven across EU countries,” said Sigrid de Vries, ACEA’s director general.