EU new car sales up for second month

Brussels - New passenger car registrations in the European Union rose by 9.6% year-on-year during September, marking the second consecutive month of growth this year.

In an 18 Oct statement, the association of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) linked the increase largely to the low base of comparison from September 2021.

At the time, it said, semiconductor shortage hampered vehicle production.

All four major European markets reported growth during the month, led by Germany and Spain which recorded double-digit gains of 14.1% and 12.7% respectively.

France and Italy posted more moderate rates of 5.5% and 5.4% during the month.

Over the first three quarters of 2022, however, the EU passenger car market contracted by just under 10% to 6,784,090 units.

For the nine-month period, all major markets posted declines with Italy seeing a 16.3% year-on-year drop.

France, Germany and Spain also posted decreases of 11.8%, 7.4% and 7.4% respectively.