New registrations rise despite car fleet incentives gradual ending
New PASSENGER CAR REGISTRATIONS in the European Union (EU 27) rose +12.9% year-on-year to 1 058 868 new vehicles registered as car fleet incentives implemented throughout western Europe last year remained effective for the most part: new registrations thus grew +15.7% on the same period to 1 007 602 vehicles. In the Euro area, the end of car fleet renewals in Germany last December pushed new registrations down -4.3% to 181 189 vehicles, while all other member states benefited from the extended stimulus : new registrations in France increased +14.3% to 171 478 new units registered and, despite the gradual ending of renewal incentives, effective from January 1st (€700 compared with up to €5000 prior to last December 31st deadline). Major Euro area economies and France’s main trade partners performed similarly: in Italy, new registrations jumped +30.2% to 206 341 newly registered vehicles, in Spain +18.1% to 70 130, and in the UK (a non Euro area member state) +29.8% to 145 479 units.
As in the previous year, new registrations in Eastern Europe reflected the severe impact of the economic downturn with overall registrations dipping -23.5% pushed down by Romania‘s -84.6% decline, and Hungary’s -54.6%, in addition to Latvia‘s, Lithuania’s and Estonia‘s averaging -40%. By contrast, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia maintained their market leadership positions, as in the previous year, with new registrations increasing respectively +22.3%, and +10.5%.
In EFTA countries, new passenger car registrations rose +15.9% to 27 026 new vehicles thanks to Norway and for the sixth consecutive month since last year, with new registrations skyrocketing +81.2% to 9 697 new vehicles. In Iceland, new registrations slipped -32% to 88 units, and decreased by an estimate 3.3% in Switzerland to 17 241 vehicles.
Per car manufacturer and in the EU 27 (excluding EFTA countries) year-on-year to January, overall new registrations increased +13%. PSA Peugeot new registrations rose +16.8 and ranked second to VW Group’s +11.3% However, while market penetration at VW fell to 20.5% from 20.8%, PSA Peugeot’s edged at 14% from 13.5% Renault Group’s new registrations ranked third, up +59.5% with market penetration gaining three percentage points to 10.8%. Unlike other car manufacturers’ positive performances, new passenger car registrations at Daimler, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Chrysler fell respectively -16.6%, -23.4%,-24.8%, -4% and -26.4%. New registrations at Jaguar Land Rover Group grew +15% and a steady market share at 0.6% thanks to Land Rover +29.1% new vehicles registered and a steady 0.4% market share, while Jaguar recorded -8.9% new registrations but a market share unchanged at 0.2%
