New car sales in Europe suffered their biggest ever drop of almost 24 per cent last year after the Covid-19 pandemic dealt a hammer blow to the sector.
Demand for passenger vehicles slumped 23.7 per cent in 2020, the worst contraction since records began in 1990, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) said. However, strong sales towards the end of the year for Volkswagen and PSA Group reduced the December decline to only 3.3 per cent.
“Containment measures – including full-scale lockdowns and other restrictions throughout the year – had an unprecedented impact on car sales across the European Union,” ACEA said on Tuesday.
"2020 saw the biggest yearly drop in car demand since records began ... all 27 EU markets recorded double-digit declines.”
The Covid-19 crisis cost the car industry heavily last year, with falling sales also recorded in the UK, where the number of new car registrations fell to 1.63 million, a decline of 29 per cent on 2019, with the bulk of the sales lost during the first lockdown last spring.
Lockdown restrictions also hammered demand in Europe with only 9.9 million new vehicles registered in 2020, down from 13 million in 2019, with March, April and May recording the biggest drop.
However, carmakers became more impervious to government measures to contain the spread of coronavirus as the year went on, helped by subsidies and dealers embracing online-ordering tools.
In December, demand for passenger cars declined 3.3 per cent to slightly more than one million units, boosted by an increase in total registrations for Europe’s top-selling carmakers, VW Group and PSA, which recorded a rise in sales of 8.2 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively.
Meanwhile, sales plunged 15 per cent last month for Daimler, 16 per cent for Renault and 9.5 per cent for BMW.
Looking at the EU's largest car markets, Spain recorded the sharpest fall in annual new sales of 32.3 per cent, with Italy down 27.9 per cent and France 25.5 per cent, ACEA said. Germany, the bloc's strongest economy, dropped 19.1 per cent.
Again, December was a brighter month for Germany, which posted a gain of 9.9 per cent, while Spain's performance remained stable. However, Italy and France both suffered double-digit losses, with car registrations down 14.9 per cent and 11.8 per cent respectively, in the final month of the year.
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Players Selected for La Liga Trials
U18 Age Group
Name: Ahmed Salam (Malaga)
Position: Right Wing
Nationality: Jordanian
Name: Yahia Iraqi (Malaga)
Position: Left Wing
Nationality: Morocco
Name: Mohammed Bouherrafa (Almeria)
Position: Centre-Midfield
Nationality: French
Name: Mohammed Rajeh (Cadiz)
Position: Striker
Nationality: Jordanian
U16 Age Group
Name: Mehdi Elkhamlichi (Malaga)
Position: Lead Striker
Nationality: Morocco
THE SPECS
2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
Engine: 1.8 litre combined with 16-volt electric motors
Transmission: Automatic with manual shifting mode
Power: 121hp
Torque: 142Nm
Price: Dh95,900
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
