EU car sales at six-year high
July 16, 2015
Sales jumped by 14.6 percent across the EU - with the exception of Malta - in June, compared with the same month last year, the Brussels-based European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said on Thursday. It was the biggest rise since December 2009.
There was double-digit growth in all major markets, buoyed by demand for luxury and mid-range vehicles. Spain registered the best performance, with a 23.5-percent rise, followed by increases of 15 percent in France, 14.4 percent in Italy, and 12.9 percent in both Germany and Britain.
Among the top premium makes last month was Porsche with a 27-percent increase in sales, while volume carmaker VW gained 18 percent and maintained its top-level market share of just under 25 percent.
France's Peugeot-Citroen (PSA) and Renault followed with a 10.7-percent and 10-percent share, respectively.
ACEA also released first-half data for 2015, which showed an 8.2-percent uptick in new registrations compared to the same period in 2014, to 7.17 million cars. Last week, it forecast that full-year sales would grow by 5 percent, surpassing the 13-million mark.
The number is still a far cry, however, from sales achieved before the financial crisis. In 2007, 16 million vehicles were sold in the EU.
ng/kms (Reuters, dpa)