European car sales fell in April as economic downturn curbed consumption
European car sales fell in April as economic growth slowed.
European car sales fell in April as slowing economic growth and uncertainty over global trade tensions prompted consumers to postpone big purchases. Data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association on Tuesday showed that new car registrations fell 0.3% to 1.08 million. New car registrations fell in major markets such as Germany, France and the UK.
Weak local demand is compounding woes for European automakers, which are facing not only U.S. tariffs but also stiff competition in China, their biggest electric vehicle market. Automakers including Volkswagen AG, Volvo Cars and Mercedes-Benz Group are cutting costs to cope with the economic downturn.
Gasoline and diesel models saw the biggest sales declines, outweighing growth in electric and hybrid car sales. Although deliveries of fully electric vehicles rose 28% last month, their market share is still lower than some analysts expected.
BloombergNEF predicted earlier this year that electric vehicles will account for more than 30% of auto sales in 2025. In April, electric vehicles accounted for 17%.
"The share of pure electric vehicles is slowly increasing, but the growth remains gradual and uneven across the EU," said Sigrid de Vries, director general of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.
Tesla's (TSLA) sales in Europe nearly halved to just 7,261 vehicles in April as it continued to lose market share despite rolling out a refresh of its product line. The decline suggests that Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk's controversial political stance and his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump are hurting the brand's popularity. Data from market researcher Jato Dynamics showed that China's BYD's electric vehicle sales in Europe surpassed Tesla's for the first time last month.
Pressure on carmakers to accelerate the rollout of electric vehicles has eased after the European Union and Britain delayed the implementation of stricter emissions rules. Plug-in hybrids were the standout performer in April, with sales jumping 31% to nearly 100,000 units.
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