Car market, Europe recovers 4.9% in October
Stellantis recovers 4.6 per cent volume, Chinese groups such as Saic and Byd grow at double digit rates while Tesla halves market share
The European car market recorded 1.91 million registrations in October in the EU area plus UK and Efta, up 4.9% compared to the same month in 2024. A result that narrows the gap compared to 2019, the pre-Covid year - minus 10.1% month-on-month, minus 17.3% if we look at the January-October period - and brings the volumes registered since January up 1.9% on the same period last year.
"The unsatisfactory situation of the car market concerns all Western European countries including the United Kingdom, which is no longer part of the EU but continues to maintain its policy guidelines on energy transition," comments Centro Studi Promotor led by Gian Primo Quagliano. Among the European markets, Spain is performing best, with an increase over the same period last year of 14.9% and a drop on the pre-crisis situation of 10.2%. It is followed by the UK with a growth of 3.9% and a gap of 14.1% compared to 2019. For Germany the recovery over last year is slight (+0.5%), but Europe's leading market is down 22% compared to the pre-Covid phase.
In Italy, the comparison is negative both compared to last year (-2.6%) and to the pre-crisis situation (-20.4%), while France ranks last in the top five markets of the region, with a drop of 5.4% in January-October last year and 27.5% compared to the pre-Covid situation.
At Stellantis, the Group recovered 4.6% volume month-on-month and reduced the year-on-year contraction in the period to -4.7%, while Jeep, DS and Peugeot suffered. Volkswagen grew 6.5% for the month and more than 4% from January to October, with all brands positive except Porsche. Renault consolidated its 10% market share thanks to rising volumes for the month and period, while Hyundai and Toyota lagged behind.
Among the emerging manufacturers, Saic Motors galloped ahead at a rate of 30 per cent higher volumes for the month and the entire period, while Tesla halved its registrations in October. The Chinese Byd also ran, tripling its market share for the month (from 0.5 to 1.6) and quadrupling it since the beginning of the year.
