According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), new car sales in Europe grew by 0.9 per cent year-on-year in 2024.
This growth was fuelled by an increase in hybrid car registrations, which surpassed petrol car sales for the fourth consecutive month in December.
Particularly notable is the fact that in the final month of the year, the Renault Group overtook Stellantis in terms of market share for the first time in three years. Renault’s market share in December was 11.9 per cent, while Stellantis slipped to 11.6 per cent. This marked the first time Renault managed to surpass Stellantis since the latter was formed in January 2021.
In December 2024, sales in the European Union, the United Kingdom and the EFTA area rose by 4.1% year-on-year to a total of 1.1 million vehicles sold. Volkswagen’s sales increased by 4.9 per cent, while Renault posted an impressive 16.6 per cent growth. At the same time, Stellantis recorded a decline of 6.7 per cent.
Particular attention should be paid to the dynamics of electric car sales. Despite an overall increase in sales, registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) fell by 10.2 per cent in December 2024. The share of sales of electrified vehicles, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids, was 57.7 per cent in December, up 4.4 per cent from a year earlier.
EU sales growth in December was 5.1%, with the largest increase in Spain at 28.8%. However, Germany and Italy recorded declines of 7.1% and 4.9% respectively.
These data show that the European automotive market continues to adapt to the new realities associated with the transition to electric vehicles and changing consumer preferences in favour of hybrid models. However, this transition is not without challenges, such as high production costs and increasing competition from Chinese carmakers.
