New car registrations in the EU fell by 12pc to 897,692 units in November owing to the second wave of COVID-19 shutdowns implemented across member countries, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) reported.
Registrations in France and Spain were most affected by the lockdowns, with figures declining by 27pc and 18pc, respectively, last month. Italy and Germany fared better with shortfalls of 13pc and 3pc, respectively.
In January-November, new car sales declined by 25.5pc or three million units to 8.9 million vehicles sold against almost 12 million units in the same period last year. Spain, Italy, and France recorded lesser sales by almost 30pc in this period.
Brandwise, local manufacturers like Volkswagen and the PSA Group’s sales declined by 14pc and 12pc, respectively in November while the Fiat-Chrysler group’s sales declines were offset by sub-brands, Jeep (up 15.6pc) and Chrysler (short by only 2pc), leading to a shortfall of only 4pc, compared to other players. Notably, Audi’s sales also went up by 1.1pc last month compared to the same prior-year period.
Over in the UK, the situation was similar, with sales falling by 27.4pc to 113,781 units in November and by almost 31pc in the first 11 months, tallying at 1.49 million cars, both compared to the same timeframes last year.