ACEA reports decline in new car registrations

New registrations fell by 18.6 per cent in July and 12.9 per cent in August. Eight months into the year, new cars in the EU totalled 9,021,703 units, or 3.5 per cent less than over the same period a year ago.

In July, a double-digit contraction occurred in the main markets, ranging from -12.8 per cent in France to -13.2 per cent in the UK, -24.1 per cent in Spain, -25.7 per cent in Italy and -30.2 per cent in Germany.

Overall, 1,032,893 new cars were registered, or 18.6 per cent less than in July 2009.

In August, as in July, France (-7.9 per cent), the UK (-17.5 per cent), Italy (-19.3 per cent), Spain (-23.8 per cent) and Germany (-27.0 per cent) all recorded a considerable downturn.

Traditionally a month with lower registration levels, August recorded a total of 701,710 new car registrations, which is down -12.9 per cent.

From January to August, new car registrations across the EU reached 9,021,703, or 3.5 per cent less than in the first eight months of 2009.