Automobile: European automakers call on EU governments for help

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According to an estimate by the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers (ACEA), the European car market is expected to fall by 25% in 2020. The association is appealing for help to the governments of the EU.

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This is one of the expected consequences of the coronavirus crisis. After six years of uninterrupted growth, the European automotive sector is preparing for a sharp fall. In 2020, European manufacturers expect 9.6 million new car registrations, compared to 12.8 last year. Even before the crisis, a slowdown had been expected in the order of minus 2%.

Meanwhile, the pandemic has paralyzed factories and dealerships. The situation is now much more worrying. "  This is the largest percentage decline ever recorded,  " insists the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers. ACEA today calls on governments to support politically and economically a key sector of the European economy.

Some 13.8 million people work directly or indirectly for the automotive industry, representing just over 6% of jobs in the Union. But from BMW to Renault, announcements of social plans have succeeded in recent weeks.

To relaunch the machine, the manufacturers hope for the implementation of a scrappage bonus and a purchase bonus in countries that are still reluctant. If negotiations are slipping in Italy, the birthplace of Fiat, France, Germany and Spain have already adopted massive aid plans for the sector, targeting in particular the least polluting vehicles.

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• Automobile
• European Union