In April, the car market in Europe recorded double-digit growth, with a 12% increase in registrations compared to the same month of the previous year. In total, 1,080,913 cars were registered in Western European countries, including the EU, EFTA countries and the United Kingdom. This result was also favored by the greater number of working days.
However, the overall balance for the first four months of the year is less positive, with an increase of 6.5% compared to the same period last year, totaling 4,476,369 cars registered.
Increase in electric cars
Electric car registrations increased by 14.8%, reaching 108,552 units, with a stable market share of around 12%. In Italy, the share of e-cars, which had reached 5.1% in August 2023, fell to 2.4%, partly due to the wait for the Ecobonus decree.
Ecobonus incentives are coming
The publication of the decree developed by the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, is imminent. Are expected incentives up to 13,750 euros for the purchase of a new electric car if you scrap an old car (from Euro 0 to Euro 2) and if you have a family income of less than 30 thousand euros.
The positions of Unrae and Anfia
Unrae underlined the urgency of the incentives. “Inexplicably, almost four months after its presentation and six months after the first announcement, and after three visits to the Court of Auditors, the Prime Ministerial Decree still has not seen the light,” declared the general director of UNRAE, Andrea Cardinali. Anfia hopes that the market will respond promptly to the incentives, especially regarding the spread of zero-emission vehicles. Roberto Vavassori, president of Anfia, observed that the next five years will be crucial for the automotive industry in terms of competitive positioning with respect to the challenges of the green and digital transition.
The performances of the main markets
In April, all five major European markets recorded positive growth: Spain (+23.1%), Germany (+19.8%), France (+10.9%), Italy (+7.7%) and the United Kingdom (+1%).
Decline in Stellantis registrations
The Stellantis group recorded a decline in registrations in April, selling 66,534 cars, a decrease of 1.5% compared to April 2023. Despite this, Stellantis remains the second group by market share in Europe, behind Volkswagen and ahead of Renault. The unions express concern for the future of the Mirafiori plant and, after the strike on 12 April, have called for a new mobilization for 12 June.
Concerns for the future of Mirafiori
Unions express concern about the future of the Mirafiori plant. Two months after the strike in the Turin automotive sector on 12 April, they called a strike new mobilization for June 12th.
The challenges of the car market
According to Promoter Study Center, the crisis in the car market in Western Europe is not yet over. The pandemic, the shortage of components, the return of inflation and the effects of the energy transition have led to a lack of supply, in particular of the cars most accessible to potential Italian buyers. This has favored the penetration of Chinese products.
Gian Primo Quagliano, president of the Promotor Study Center, underlined that one of the priority tasks of the new governance of the European Union, after the upcoming elections, will be to address the dossier on the energy transition in the car.
This is also essential to counter the growing presence of Chinese cars on the European market, which could have worrying consequences for employment and the European economy.
