The car market in Europe performed well in June, but analysts are forecasting a slowdown
Volkswagen and Stellantis remain below average, whilst Chinese carmakers are surging ahead and overtaking the market share of Japanese and Korean manufacturers
June proved to be a positive month for the European car market, which grew by 13.1 per cent within the EU, including EFTA and the UK, and by 6.1% year-to-date, although analysts and experts forecast a slowdown in registrations in the second half of the year and a year-end figure for 2026 that is effectively similar to that recorded in 2025.
Among the highlights for June is the return to positive growth in the French market, up 11.4 per cent, and in the Anglo-Saxon market, which has been outperforming the market as a whole since January, although it remains below the average for registrations recorded last month. Germany was the driving force this month, recording a 15 per cent increase in sales volumes in June, whilst Spain and Italia performed well but remained below the European average for the month.
Against this backdrop, registrations of fully electric cars rose by over 50 per cent during the month – with volumes almost doubling in Italia and France – and by 35 per cent over the half-year, alongside plug-in hybrids, which have risen by 24 per cent since the start of the year, and hybrid models, which have grown by 12 per cent since January.
Among car manufacturers, the two leading automotive groups, Volkswagen and Stellantis, grew in June at half the rate of the market as a whole, driven by the performance of Chinese manufacturers, from Geely – the leading group by market share (3.5%) – to BYD (which doubled its market share from 1.3% to 2.7% over the course of a year), right through to Chery, which tripled its share, and Leapmotor, which is approaching 1%. On the European market, these emerging Chinese manufacturers have overtaken the presence of Asian manufacturers such as Nissan, Suzuki and Mazda.
In the first half of the year, sales volumes for Renault, Hyundai and Ford remained in negative territory, whilst Toyota’s figures have been flat since January. Among the brands, within the Volkswagen Group, only Skoda and Audi recorded rising sales volumes during the half-year, whilst within the Stellantis Group, Citroën, Opel and Fiat outperformed the market in the first half of the year, with registrations up by almost 30 per cent compared with 2025.
