BRUSSELS—New passenger car registrations in the European Union dropped by 19.3 percent during the month of February, as COVID-19 containment measures and uncertainty continued to weigh heavily on demand.
With 771,486 units registered across the EU region, the figure marked the lowest February total on record since 2013, the European Automobile Manufacturing Association (ACEA) said March 17.
All four major EU markets recorded losses during the month, with Italy posting the smallest drop at 12.3 percent. Germany, France and Spain registered declines of 19.0 percent, 20.9 percent and 38.4 percent, respectively.
Over the first two months of the year, new car registrations fell 21.7 percent year-on-year, according to ACEA.
Spain has been hit the hardest, with sales falling 44.6 percent compared to last year, followed by Germany, France and Italy, which posted drops of 25.1 percent 14.2 percent and 13.1 percent respectively.