European car market six-month test: Italy soared 13% Germany, the United Kingdom slightly lower

From the standpoint of sales growth, Italy and Spain have achieved remarkable performance. However, in fact, the growth of the sales volume of these two countries is mostly driven by the dealers' pressure storage.

For Germany, it is imperative to welcome the leader’s “election”: It is expected that the country’s auto industry will contribute to reducing diesel engine pollution and restore the confidence crisis caused by the recent Volkswagen Group’s emissions cheating scandal.

According to China Economic Net’s comprehensive foreign reports, according to the current sales figures for the major European markets in June, the number of car sales in various countries can be said to be a few happy moments: The number of registered passenger cars in France rose by 2% to 230,940. Vehicle; Italy and Spain increased by 13% and 7%, respectively, with sales of 187,642 vehicles and 131,797 vehicles; Germany's new vehicle sales decreased by 3.5% to 327,693 vehicles in June, and new car sales in the UK decreased by 4.8%. It dropped to 243,454 vehicles.

Among the three major sales channels in Europe, sales to private customers are considered to be the most lucrative, followed by fleet sales and peripheral business (including dealers from car rental and daily rental). For dealers, peripheral business is The least profitable.

From the standpoint of sales growth, Italy and Spain have achieved remarkable performance. However, in fact, the growth of the sales volume of these two countries is mostly driven by the dealers' pressure storage.

According to the data provided by the Association of Italian Automobile Importers (UNRAE), the country’s double-digit growth in June was driven by a 33% increase in sales of its major customers and a 43% increase in sales of day-to-day rental companies. In June, sales to individual consumers fell by 3.1%.

Filippo Pavan Bernacchi, chairman of the Federation of Italian Automobile Dealers Association, said: "The positive result in June was mainly due to the competition between automakers and competition for market share." He added, "This has led to a substantial increase in peripheral businesses."

Coincidentally, according to the industry association ANFAC, Spain’s new car sales increased by nearly 7% last month. This is Spain’s best performance in June since 2007, but market observers have seen hidden concerns. In June this year, the number of private buyers in the Spanish market increased by 3.6%, while sales to large customers increased by as much as 23%.

Raul Morales, communications director at FACONAUTO, a Spanish dealers' association, said in a press release issued on Monday that it is dangerous for dealers who are under increasing inventory. He also revealed that the brand's target to distributors is too high. In order to achieve their goals, dealers have to “self-registration”, and Spain’s June sales are 25% in the last two days of the month. .

“Another disturbing trend is that this year's registration volume has been pushed up, leading to higher total sales than actual market demand,” Morales said.

According to the German Automobile Industry Association (VDA), automakers are paying close attention to the decline in market share of diesel vehicles caused by the Euro 6 emission standards. According to KBA data, the German diesel vehicle market share was 41.3% in the first half of this year, a 9.1% year-on-year decrease. The market share of gasoline vehicles was 55.8%, an increase of 12% year-on-year. The VDA also expects that domestic automobile production and exports in Germany will drop by 2% this year to 5.6 million vehicles and 4.3 million vehicles respectively.

According to KBA data, the alternative powertrain system also achieved great success in the first half of the year. Hybrid vehicle sales increased by 82% to 37,520 units, and the sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles increased by 100%. 12,264 vehicles, while demand for pure electric vehicles increased by 134% to 10,189 vehicles.

Less than three months after the German election, the country’s auto industry is expected to contribute to plans to reduce diesel engine pollution to help improve air quality and restore the confidence crisis caused by the recent Volkswagen Group’s emissions cheating scandal. .

Affected by the increase in car tax in April, the UK car market hit a record high in March this year. In the subsequent April, sales fell by 20%. In May and June, it continued to fall, achieving the first time in three consecutive years in six years. Monthly sales decline.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the British Automobile Manufacturers and Traders Association (SMMT) stated that sales of diesel vehicles continued to decline during the entire month of June, a decline of 15%, while the registration of gasoline vehicles increased by 2.5%. The number of new car registrations in the UK decreased by 4.8% in June.

In the first half of this year, UK vehicle sales fell by 1.3% year-on-year to 1.4 million vehicles. According to a forecast released earlier this year, SMMT expects annual sales to fall to 2.62 million units, down 2.6% year-on-year.

“Despite the overall results, SMMT is still optimistic about the market in the second half of the year,” SMMT CEO Mike Hawes said: “The sales volume in the first half of this year is still very eye-catching, the amount is the second highest ever. As long as consumers and Enterprises can maintain their confidence and we expect consumer demand will remain at the same high level in the coming months."