The European market (PC+LCV) grew by 0.4% in 2018
- The European - 29 countries - automotive market (passenger cars + light commercial vehicles) increased by 0.4% in 2018, to 17,736,775 units from 17,673,367 units in 2017. Passenger cars accounted for 15,606,512 units (compared with 15,607,878 in 2017), almost stable compared with the previous year, while light commercial vehicles accounted for 2,130,263 units (compared with 2,065,489 in 2017), a slight increase compared with the previous year (+3.1%). It was therefore the growth in LCV sales that enabled the European market to remain positive at the end of last year.
- The PC market suffered from the decline in the British market (-6.8%), the first consequence of Brexit, and the upgrading of newly marketed models to WLTP standards from September onwards. As a result, European market sales declined significantly in the last quarter.
- Accordingly, the European market remained the second largest in the world, behind China (28.1 million units) and ahead of the United States (17.3 million units), but failed to reach its level recorded before 2008. Between 2004 and 2007, the European market reached a level between 17.9 million and 18.6 million units, on a like-for-like basis.
- The year 2019 should be more difficult, as Inovev expects a stable or even slightly declining European market.
Contact us: info@inovev.com