European market: Passenger vehicle sales exceed 15 million units, diesel vehicles drop below 50%

Sales ratio of electrified vehicles are under 5%, European automakers to strengthen EVs and PHVs

2017/09/15

Summary

  According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), passenger vehicle sales in 2016 for 29 European countries (EU+EFTA) saw a year-over-year (y/y) increase of 6.6% to 15.116 million vehicles. Vehicle sales in eighteen Western European nations (EU15+EFTA), which account for over 90% of total vehicle sales, increased by 5.9% to 13.969 million vehicles. Vehicle sales in the five major markets of Germany, the U.K., France, Italy, and Spain, accounted for 73% of all European vehicle sales, and the total vehicle sales in the five countries saw a 6.5% increase to 11.031 million vehicles.

  In July 2017, the U.K. and France announced policies that would prohibit the sale of diesel and gasoline engine vehicles from 2040. Starting with VW's emissions fraud in 2015, suspicion regarding the emissions performance of diesel engine vehicles has been increasing, and major cities have gone as far as restricting the entry of diesel engine vehicles. The sales ratio of diesel engine vehicles in the Western European market has been on a downward trend in recent years, dropping from 51.6% in 2015 to 49.5% in 2016.

  Although sales of electric vehicles (EVs) are rapidly growing in Europe, they comprise less than 5% of the entire market. In 2016, battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales in the Western European market saw y/y growth of 2.9% to 90,047 units, plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) grew by 16.9% to 112,419 vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) rose by 26.6% to 287,052 vehicles. From the five major European nations, the number of EVs is growing in Germany, the U.K., and France, whereas HEV sales are rapidly increasing in Italy and Spain, but the two countries have yet to see the introduction of BEVs and PHEVs.

  European automakers are now required to change their business strategies despite selling many diesel vehicles, and they have announced plans to release EVs. At motor shows in recent years, many OEMs have successively unveiled BEV and PHEV concept cars and production models.

欧州の乗用車販売台数 電動車の販売台数
Source: Created based on ACEA documents



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