EU New Car Sales Climbed in November After Gains in Italy, France

By Mauro Orru

Passenger-car registrations in the European Union edged higher in November, a month marked by solid gains in Italy and France that offset a contraction in the German car market.

The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association, known as ACEA, said Wednesday that new car registrations--a reflection of sales--climbed 6.7% on year in the bloc to 885,581 units, making November the 16th consecutive month of growth. Italy saw a 16% boost, while France recorded a 14% increase.

However, the German car market, long regarded as a bellwether in the EU, suffered a 5.7% contraction. Business sentiment in Germany sank unexpectedly for the first time in four months, according to a closely watched survey earlier this week.

Among the large EU car makers, BMW and Volkswagen registrations jumped 15% and 11% respectively, according to ACEA data, while Stellantis saw a 7.3% decline.

Registrations of new battery-electric cars jumped 16% in November to 144,378 units, with growth in Belgium more than doubling on year, making the country the fifth-largest market by volume, ACEA said.

Write to Mauro Orru at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 20, 2023 02:14 ET (07:14 GMT)

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