European car sales dip in February

March 25 (euronews) - A sharp decline in overall sales in major markets including Germany and Italy dragged down the numbers of newly registered cars in the EU.

However, EVs are distinctly increasing their market share in the bloc, with Chinese-made cars on the rise.

German, Italian and French demand for new cars has been lagging in the first two months of the year, hammering sales in the continent.

New car registrations fell by 3.4% in February and 3% in the first two months of the year compared to the same period last year, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

In February, year-to-date sales fell in Italy by 6%, in Germany by 4.6% and in France by 3.3%. However, Spain saw an 8.4% increase.

In February, 15.4% of the new cars sold were battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), while for the first two months of the year, the total reached 15.2%. That signals a jump from last year’s 11.5% in the same period.