Demand for new cars increased for a 21st consecutive month in the EU last month, according to the latest figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), with more than 1,109,893 registered in May 2015. This represents a 1.3% rise on the same month last year, although it also marks the lowest increase seen so far in this 21-month period.
Registration figures were boosted by the EU’s new member states, in particular the Czech Republic and Poland, where demand grew 17.6% and 11% respectively. Meanwhile, demand in the region’s major markets was more diverse. While Spain (14%), Italy (10.8%) and the UK (2.4%) all saw growth in May, the picture was less positive for the French (-3.5%) and German (-6.7%) markets.
Year-to-date figures remain strong, with 5,805,367 new vehicles registered so far in 2015, an uplift of 6.8%. All the major markets produced positive results in the first five months of this year, with year-to-date registrations in Spain (21.7%), Italy (10.8%), the UK (5.7%), France (3.8%) and Germany (3.6%) all up on the same period in 2014.
New passenger car registrations by market, European Union
