Automotive Exports August 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 last month, but activity is far
from pre-pandemic 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 improvements indicate
that the European automotive industry is
recovering from supply disruptions caused
by the pandemic,” it added.
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