The European car market remains weak, also due to theUncertainty about the future of the electric car. Registrations are back on the up: in June in Europe, EFTA countries and the United Kingdom – according to data from ACEA, the association of European manufacturers – there were 1,310,989 cars, 3.6% more than in the same month of 2023. The total for the half-year thus rises to 6,879,438, with an increase of 4.4% on the same period last year, but still down by a good 18.4% compared to the period before the pandemic. In June, battery-electric cars accounted for 14.4% of the EU market, down from 15.1% a year earlier.. At the same time, hybrid-electric vehicles increased their market share from 24.4% to 29.5%. The combined share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 47.1%, down from 49.6%.
«Doubts are starting to creep in – says the president of the Promotor Study Centre, John First Quagliano – on the future of the electric car and it therefore appears necessary and urgent that the European Union, with its new institutional bodies, say a clear and definitive word on the policy it intends to conduct in terms of sustainable mobility”. Also for Unrae “clear indications are needed on the environmental and customs policies of the EU, which profoundly influence industrial strategies and investments of car manufacturers, in a complex transition context where operators and customers need certainties more than ever.”.
In Italy, however, the incentives launched by Mimit on June 3 had a positive effect: the share of electric cars doubled from 4.4% in June 2023 to 8.4%.. According to Anfia “it could be considered to refinance the fund for electric cars (0-20 g/km of CO2 range) which ran out in just 8 hours, which is why many potentially interested users were unable to take advantage of it” The Stellantis group lost 1.8% less in June with a market share of 15.7% against 16.6%. In the six months, registrations were 1,144,814, 0.1% more than the same period last year. The market share fell from 17.4% to 16.6%.