- The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said that car sales in the European Union rose 10.1 per cent.
- Registrations for all electrified vehicles – fully electric models, plug-in hybrids and full hybrids accounted for 48.2 per cent.
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said that car sales in the European Union rose 10.1 per cent in February, with the bloc’s main markets all recording solid growth.
Hybrid vehicles, a compromise between all-combustion and all-electric cars, are emerging as a preferred alternative to battery electric vehicles for consumers in Europe, the US and China.
Likewise, registrations for all electrified vehicles – fully electric models, plug-in hybrids and full hybrids – rose by 18.4 per cent year-on-year and accounted for 48.2 per cent of all new passenger car registrations in February, up from 44.8 per cent in the previous year.
Also, total registrations at Volkswagen, Stellantis and Renault rose in February by 9.8 per cent, 12.0 per cent and 5.8 per cent, respectively. Tesla recorded a 15.2 per cent increase in February sales in the EU.
Registrations rose by 13 per cent in France, 12.8 per cent in Italy, 9.9 per cent in Spain and 5.4 per cent in Germany, consolidating similar trends seen in January, Europe’s automakers association said.
According to the data, the four countries were also the main contributors to a 24.7 per cent yearly jump in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) sales in the EU, with the market share of HEVs in the bloc increasing to 28.9 per cent from 25.5 per cent a year ago.
Furthermore, China’s SAIC Motor has doubled sales in the EU, Britain, and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).
In the same month, its unit MG Motors unveiled the hybrid hatchback MG3 model for the European market in a bid to offer a lower-emission model without the need for charging.
According to the ACEA, the number of new vehicles registered in the EU, Britain and the EFTA rose by 10.2 per cent in February to 995,059 vehicles.