European new car sales plunge

New car sales plummeted by more than 50% in Europe’s major markets as lockdowns imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic their toll, data released on Friday shows, Report informs, citing EU Today.

In March, new car registrations dropped by 51.8% to 853,077 vehicles in the European Union, Britain, and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, according to statistics released by the European Auto Industry Association (ACEA).

Sales fell in all EU markets, with Italy - hit particularly hard by the pandemic - reporting the biggest drop of 85.4%, while registrations tumbled by 37.7% in Germany, 72.2% in France, and 69.3% in Spain.

Volkswagen Group’s sales decreased by 43.6% in March, while Renault and PSA Group posted drops of 63.7% and 66.9%, respectively.