European car sales fell 5.5% in 2010

ERJ staff report (DS)

Brussels -- The EU market for new passenger cars declined by 5.5 percent, with a total of 13.36 million new units registered throughout 2010, according to data from ACEA, Europe's federation of vehicle makers, released on 14 January. The 2010 results were marked by the ending of government fleet renewal schemes in many EU countries. Registrations in December amounted to 1,009,638 units, 3.2 percent less than December 2009.

From January to December, the situation varied across the major markets, leading to an overall 5.5 percent downturn over 2010. Where Spain and the UK saw new car registrations increase by 3.1 percent and 1.8 percent respectively, Germany recorded a 23.4 percent decline. The Italian (-9.2 percent) and the French (-2.2 percent) markets also contracted. The biggest increase was observed in Ireland where the market grew by 54.7 percent after the sharp 62.1 percent drop in 2009. Bulgaria recorded the steepest downturn (-28.9 percent).

In December (-3.2 percent), demand for new cars declined significantly in Spain (-23.9 percent), Italy (-21.7 percent) and the UK (-18.0 percent). The French market remained stable (-0.7 percent) while the German expanded by 6.9 percent.

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Press release from ACEA