NFDA urges government to keep pace with European counterparts on EVs
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“It is positive to see both EU and UK markets experiencing consecutive months of growth. However, whilst battery electric vehicles in the UK experienced a -17.1 per cent decrease in November, according to SMMT figures, they increased by 16.3 per cent in the EU.
“The EU is currently deliberating over Euro 7 emissions limits and is also set to phase out the sale of ICE vehicles in 2035.
“We will continue to monitor European developments and their impact on the UK market” said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), commenting on the latest ACEA figures.
New passenger car registrations grew by 6.7 per cent in Europe in November according to the latest figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). This marked the sixteenth consecutive month of expansion.
The number of new cars sold across the European Union rose from 829,823 units in November 2022 to 885,580.57 in November 2023.
There were substantial double-digit gains in some markets, including two of the largest with Italy seeing a 16.2 per cent increase and France seeing a 14 per cent increase. Conversely, the German car market retracted, seeing a 5.7 per cent decline when compared to November 2022.
With the exception of Hungary, all EU markets grew during this eleven-month period over the course of the year. The four largest markets contributed highly to this trend: Italy (+20 per cent), Spain (+17.3 per cent), France (+16.2 per cent), and Germany (+11.4 per cent)
The battery-electric car market share increased to 16.3 per cent, a rise from 15 per cent last year. The year-to-date share now holds steady at 14.2 per cent, consistently surpassing diesel, which remained at 13.7 per cent. Hybrid-electric cars were ranked second with a 27.4 per cent market share, while petrol cars maintained their lead at 32.7 per cent.
Sue Robinson added: “Last week, France revealed a list of electric vehicles eligible for tax incentives of up to €7,000.
“The UK remains the only major market in Europe without incentives for private buyers.
“In the new year, the UK government needs to do more to keep up pace with its European counterparts and introduce incentives such as subsidies to ensure that we do not fall behind in the transition to electric.”
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