In September 2015, the EU passenger car market showed another strong month (+9.8%), marking the 25th consecutive month of growth. Demand for new passenger cars was up in all major markets, driven by ongoing scrappage schemes and by the economic recovery of Southern Europe. Registrations in Spain (+22.5%), Italy (+17.2%), France (+9.1%), the UK (+8.6%) and Germany (+4.8%) increased when compared to September 2014. Across the region, new passenger car registrations totalled 1,356,868 units. Over the first nine months of 2015, new passenger car registrations increased (+8.8%), surpassing 10 million units (10,413,675). However, this is still far from the pre-crisis level of almost 12 million units registered during the same period in 2007. All major markets posted growth, contributing to the overall upturn of the EU market over the first three quarters of the year. Spain (+22.4%) and Italy (+15.3%) benefit from strong growth and posted double-digit percentage gains, followed by the UK (+7.1%), France (+6.3%) and Germany (+5.5%). Alternative Fuel Vehicle registrations up 19.8% in the first n i n e months In the third quarter of 2015, total alternative fuel vehicle registrations in the EU increased (+13.4%), reaching 127,661 units. In the third quarter of 2015, total alternative fuel vehicle registrations in the EU increased (+13.4%), reaching 127,661 units. Of these, electric vehicle (EV) registrations showed a substantial increase (+62.2%), rising from 17,488 units in Q3 2014 to 28,360 units in Q3 2015. Demand for new hybrid vehicles (HEV) also grew significantly (+34.7%), totalling 53,183 units. On the other hand, registrations of new passenger cars powered by propane or natural gas showed a decline in the third quarter (-17.1), totalling 46,118. Looking at the EU’s major markets, Spain saw the largest increase of AFVs registered over the third quarter (+74.0%), followed by the Netherlands (+55.5%), France (+46.1%) and the UK (+26.4%). While growth in Spain was sustained across all AFV categories, growth in the Netherlands, France and the UK was totally driven by electric and hybrid electric vehicle markets. Among the EU+EFTA countries, Norway registered the largest number of electrically chargeable vehicles over the period, totalling 7,823 units.
EU Passenger Car Market Sees Another Strong Month
