Car sales in Europe take dive

New-vehicle registrations across Europe have continued to decline from last year as carmakers face a slow recovery from the impact of Covid-19.

While drop-offs in trade during July and August this year were not as steep as in previous months, the latest figures still make grim reading for the automotive industry.

In July, sales of new cars fell by 3.7 per cent year-on-year to 1,281,740 vehicles, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). The numbers cover the European Union, UK and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries.

There were 884,394 registrations in August, a plunge of 17.6 per cent from the same month of 2019. 

All countries in the region, except Cyprus, recorded losses during August compared to the previous year, reports Reuters. 

The latest slump follows vehicle sales falling in June and May by 24.1 per cent and 56.8 per cent, respectively.

Volkswagen was hit by a 24.2 per cent drop in registrations during August, while Renault and PSA Group fell 22.8 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively.

Bucking the trend was BMW, which saw new-car sales climb 6.3 per cent year-on-year.