Automotive Exports September 2023

Europe’s electric car market share
overtakes diesel in June
The sales of new electric battery vehicles
overtook diesel car purchases in Europe for
the first time, but activity is far from prepandemic
levels, a lobby group said.
In June, the market share for cars running
on electric batteries rose to 15.1%,
according to the European Automobile
Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), with
over 158,000 units sold in the EU.
Most EU markets recorded double or
even triple-digit percentage gains, with
heavyweights Germany, France and the
Netherlands all posting increases of over
50%. Petrol remained the new car fuel type
with the largest market share at 36.3%,
while hybrid electric vehicles were second
at 24.3%. Automakers and consumers
are looking to steer away from vehicles
running on polluting fossil fuels to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate
change.
A searing heatwave that has engulfed large
parts of Europe has reinforced concerns
about the impact of global warming on
the planet. The ACEA said new EU car
registrations in the first six months of
2023 increased by 17.9%, with 5.4 million
new units. But it noted that cumulative
volumes for the period were 21% lower
than in 2019, the final full year before the
coronavirus pandemic, which upended
the industry and the global economy.
Lockdowns and restrictions on daily
life decimated economic activity, while
the reopening of economies saw the
industry challenged by disrupted supply
chains and inflation. A 17.8% growth
of the car market in the EU in June was
due to a low comparison base last year,
“primarily driven by vehicle component
shortages,” said the ACEA. However, “the
recent improvements indicate that the
European automotive industry is recovering
from supply disruptions caused by the
pandemic,” it added.
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