Passenger car registrations in the European Union fell in December, marking a year that has seen the biggest annual decline in car demand since records began, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association said.
New car registrations – as a result of sales – fell 3.3% year-over-year to 1.0 million vehicles, the association, also known as ACEA, said Tuesday.
Among the key markets, Italy and France recorded a steep decline in registrations of 15% and 12%, respectively. However, Germany recorded an increase of 9.9% and the number of Spanish registrations remained virtually unchanged compared to the previous year.
For the full year, EU passenger car registrations fell 24% to 9.9 million units in 2020, ACEA said, adding that this is “the biggest annual decline in car demand since records began. “
ACEA said the decline was due to a coronavirus outbreak, and associated measures and restrictions “have had an unprecedented impact on car sales across the European Union.”
Write to Kim Richters at [email protected]