European car sales up 9.2% in September

By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - New car registrations rose 9.2% in September in the EU market, the 14th consecutive month of growth, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) said on Friday.

Last month 861,062 units of cars were registered in the 27-member union, the group said.

Among major European markets, Italy and France saw large jumps with 22.7% and 10.7%, respectively, while the German market posted a slight decline of 0.1%.

The ACEA noted: "In the first three quarters of 2023, the EU car market grew substantially (+16.9%), totaling eight million registered units.

"Despite the year-to-date increase, the market remains 20% below the pre-COVID pandemic level of 10 million units in 2019."

- Electric cars

In September, among new car sales, the market share of electric-powered cars reached 14.8% versus 14.1% in September 2022.

Electric car registrations rose 14.3% to 127,149 units year-on-year in September.

But hybrid-electric cars retained their position as the number two option in the EU last month.

"Although petrol cars are still buyers’ top choice, their market share fell from 35.3% in September 2022 to 34.1% this year," it noted.