Decline in European Auto Market Amidst Pandemic Restrictions
The European automotive sector experienced a downturn in November for the second consecutive month, primarily due to measures implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19. However, Romania emerged as one of the five markets that saw an increase, according to data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), as reported by Reuters.
In November, a total of 1.047 million vehicles were registered across the European Union, the United Kingdom, and EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), marking a 13.5% decline from 1.211 million units recorded in the same month of 2019.
Conversely, Romania’s automotive market experienced a modest growth of 1.2% in November 2020, with 13,253 vehicles registered, compared to 13,091 in November of the previous year. Among EU member states, only Ireland, Cyprus, Greece, Romania, and Denmark reported an increase in car sales during November.
ACEA highlighted that all major automotive markets in the EU continued to face declines in October. Sales in the UK and France plummeted by approximately 27%, while Spain and Italy saw more moderate decreases of 18.7% and 8.3%, respectively. In Germany, where dealerships remained open in November, registrations fell by 3%.
Regarding major automotive manufacturers, Volkswagen Group and Renault reported a sales drop of around 14% in November, while PSA’s sales decreased by 12%.
Dacia’s vehicle registrations in the EU, UK, and EFTA countries fell by just 14.6% in November, totaling 35,655 units. However, for the first eleven months of the year, Dacia’s registrations dropped by 31%, amounting to 365,495 vehicles.
The latest figures from ACEA serve as further evidence that automakers are bracing for a challenging winter, despite the optimism surrounding the imminent rollout of vaccines. With only one month left in the year, the European auto market has contracted by 3.8 million units, representing a 26% decline overall for 2020.
