2018.11.1502:41:00UTC+00EU New Car Registrations Decline Eases In October: ACEA

The pace of decline in EU new car registrations eased in October, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, or ACEA, showed on Thursday.

New car registration decreased by 7.3 percent year-on-year in October after a 23.5 percent slump in September. Registrations dropped for a second straight month and the pace of decline was the weakest since March.

The main cause is still the introduction of the new WLTP emissions test on September 1, which resulted in an exceptional surge in registrations over the summer and consequently, demand for new cars fell in most EU countries last month, including the five major markets, the ACEA said.

In the main markets, car registrations decreased 7.4 percent in both Germany and Italy. Sales fell 1.5 in France and 6.6 percent in Spain. In the UK, new car registrations were lower by 2.9 percent.

In the January to October period, new car registrations grew 1.6 percent from a year ago.