Europe Car Sales Drop in March as EV Weakness Persists
(Bloomberg) -- Passenger-car sales in Europe fell 2.8% in March as automakers including Volkswagen AG and Stellantis NV faced weaker demand, particularly for electric vehicles.
New-vehicle registrations dropped to 1.38 million units last month, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said Thursday. Sales of battery-powered cars fell 11% as consumers in Germany, Sweden and Norway cooled.
The decline, due in part to the timing of Easter, is the second in four months and underscores the pressure carmakers face amid higher interest rates, weaker economic growth and the phasing out of generous subsidies to stoke demand for EVs. Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla have all reported lower EV sales in the first quarter of the year.
The trend is pushing some traditional automakers to rethink when they will phase out combustion engines, and others have backtracked on EV targets. In February, Mercedes-Benz Group AG pushed back its sales forecast and now expects battery-powered vehicles to be stuck at less than half of its sales for longer than anticipated.
The impact of the slowdown has been starkest at Tesla, which this week said it will shed more than 10% of its global workforce.
![](https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/i7jfqPZV1e1o/v0/-1x-1.png)
Italy’s EV sales declined 34% last month as customers held back purchases in anticipation of possible new subsidies under consideration by the government. Germany’s EV sales slumped 29%, even as manufacturers such as Volkswagen introduced their own rebates in a bid to compensate for the country’s aid cuts.
While a range of new electric models convinced a greater number of buyers in markets including France and UK, sub-par charging infrastructure remains a roadblock to more widespread adoption.
![](https://assets.bwbx.io/images/users/iqjWHBFdfxIU/imsPthgppIEQ/v0/-1x-1.png)
Some customers are turning to models with both a battery and a combustion engine: Sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles rose 0.7% last month, outpacing not just fully electric cars but also models running on gasoline. Sales of petrol cars in the region dropped 8% while diesel cars registrations plunged as much as 18%.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
KEEPING THE ENERGY INDUSTRY CONNECTED
Subscribe to our newsletter and get the best of Energy Connects directly to your inbox each week.
By subscribing, you agree to the processing of your personal data by dmg events as described in the Privacy Policy.
More oil news
![Energy Connect Story Thumbnail](/images/default/oilandgasgeneric.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&format=webp)
Woodside Looks to Build ‘Dream Team of LNG’ at Acquired US Plant
![Eni](/media/zrnnqrv2/eni.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=132771144027800000&format=webp)
Eni signed exclusivity agreement with KKR for the potential sale of a minority stake in Enilive
![Woodside](/media/tq5juvf3/woodside.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=132834340121370000&format=webp)
Woodside's quarterly revenues exceed $3 billion backed by strategic milestones
![BloomburgMedia_SGUY72T0AFB400_22-07-2024_06-22-21_638572032000000000.jpg](/media/cfwjsnpi/bloomburgmedia_sguy72t0afb400_22-07-2024_06-22-21_638572032000000000.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133661029417000000&format=webp)
Oil Rises as Biden Quits US Race, Blazes Threaten Canadian Wells
![BloomburgMedia_SGZSI8T1UM0W00_22-07-2024_07-32-52_638572032000000000.jpg](/media/yq5nxplm/bloomburgmedia_sgzsi8t1um0w00_22-07-2024_07-32-52_638572032000000000.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133661071728370000&format=webp)
Kamala Harris Seen as Tougher Oil Industry Opponent Than Biden
![Oil And Gas Refinery Plant](/media/czhapv55/oil-and-gas-refinery-plant.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=132900920345270000&format=webp)
PetroChina joins Oil and Gas Decarbonisation Charter
![GALP](/media/1dpp15bu/galp.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133661151184570000&format=webp)
Galp reports 16% rise in Q2 2024 net profit amid higher oil prices and lower production costs
![BloomburgMedia_SGXF3CT0AFB400_21-07-2024_06-00-10_638571168000000000.jpg](/media/pp5dhnc3/bloomburgmedia_sgxf3ct0afb400_21-07-2024_06-00-10_638571168000000000.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133660152100830000&format=webp)
Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery Targets Output of 550,000 Barrels a Day
![BloomburgMedia_SGUD23DWLU6800_22-07-2024_07-49-38_638572032000000000.jpg](/media/ey5kep5x/bloomburgmedia_sgud23dwlu6800_22-07-2024_07-49-38_638572032000000000.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133661081780600000&format=webp)
Oil Falls With Broader Commodity Weakness Amidst Listless Trade
![BloomburgMedia_SGVJS1T0G1KW00_19-07-2024_20-00-09_638569440000000000.jpg](/media/5yomaqhj/bloomburgmedia_sgvjs1t0g1kw00_19-07-2024_20-00-09_638569440000000000.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=240&height=135&rnd=133658928099030000&format=webp)
Occidental Planning to Sell Bonds in Up to Five Parts
![CSIS Thumbnail](/media/o0acqjyg/csis_thumbnail.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133566075809700000&format=webp)
CSIS: long-term LNG demand to reshape global export capacity growth
![Dr Carole Nakhle Thumbnail](/media/gqrpjths/dr-carole-nakhle_thumbnail.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133542056370600000&format=webp)
More women in energy vital to the industry’s success
![Vandana Hari Thumbnail](/media/gz3dyktl/vandana-hari-thumbnail.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133511540022930000&format=webp)
India’s energy sector presents lucrative opportunities for global companies
![OIL INDIA Thumbnail (1)](/media/oddlww2x/oil-india-thumbnail-1.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133506537128730000&format=webp)
Oil India charts the course to ambitious energy growth
![DNV Thumbnail](/media/chkphnjn/dnv-thumbnail.png?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133491856590700000&format=webp)
Maritime sector is stepping up to the challenges of decarbonisation
Partner content
![Navigating the trading seas: exploring the significance of benchmarks-1859882229](/media/qlacaiww/navigating-the-trading-seas-exploring-the-significance-of-benchmarks-1859882229.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133613577584600000&format=webp)
Navigating the trading seas: exploring the significance of benchmarks
![New Lng Ship Web 17829](/media/vjrjyypa/new-lng-ship-web-17829.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133179936218300000&format=webp)
Back to the Future(s): the best commodities benchmarks are still physically settled
![Dr Klaus](/media/4eyh2dr0/dr-klaus.jpg?center=0.3953747239980292,0.50683017007953435&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133517897092430000&format=webp)
Ebara Elliott Energy offers a range of products for a sustainable energy economy
![ESSAR](/media/5uafghtj/essar.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133524466961070000&format=webp)
Essar outlines how its CBM contribution is bolstering for India’s energy landscape
![HNC 7611 V2](/media/0dqbya15/hnc_7611_v2.jpg?anchor=center&mode=crop&width=540&height=300&rnd=133517899616530000&format=webp)