Gasoline and diesel cars lose EU market share

Gasoline and diesel vehicles lost a substantial share of the EU's passenger car market in the second quarter, dropping to just 62pc of new sales from over 80pc in the same period last year.

Figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) show gasoline-powered cars made up around 42pc of new registrations in April-June, a 10 percentage point contraction compared with the second quarter of 2020. Diesel cars held a 20pc share, down from 29pc a year earlier.

Sales of new gasoline and diesel cars across the EU increased by around 25pc and 8pc on the year respectively. But this was on the back of a low base of comparison due to last year's Covid restrictions, and the growth was modest compared with electric and hybrid vehicle sales, ACEA said.

Registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) expanded by 232pc compared with a year earlier to reach around 210,300 cars in April-June, driven by a steep rise in sales in Spain and Germany. BEVs more than doubled their market share to 7.5pc in the second quarter from 3.5pc in the same period last year. Plug-in hybrids made up around 8pc of all new cars sold in the EU in April-June, while hybrid cars accounted for a 19pc market share.

By Dafydd ab Iago