With 791,542 new vehicles sold, in the midst of a shortage of electronic chips, it was the weakest month of May recorded by ACEA since the start of the statistical series in 1990, excluding the particular case of 2020 marked by the Covid-19 pandemic. 19.
The decline over one year, however, is a little less marked than in March and April, when it had exceeded 20%.
Among the main markets, Italy posted -15.1% in May, Spain -10.0%, Germany -10.2% and France -10.1%.
At the same time, the British market fell by 20.6%.
Conversely, sales increased in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania, Latvia, Greece and Sweden.
The European market has just had the worst five months in its history - still excluding 2020 -, with 3.7 million vehicles sold (-13.7% over one year).
Since the spring of 2021, the automotive market has been held back in Europe and America by a series of logistical problems, including a shortage of semiconductors.
These electronic chips, mainly manufactured in Asia, are essential for the manufacture of telephones and laptops, but also cars which carry ever more technology.
With chip supply stabilizing, ACEA predicted a rebound in auto sales in the second half of 2022, but the war in Ukraine dampened that optimism.
Despite falling sales figures, manufacturers reaped profits in the first quarter on the back of rising car prices.
But their sales figures continued to decline.
European leader Volkswagen fell 19.6% in May over one year, with a sharp decline in its main brand, Skoda, Audi and Seat.
Its runner-up Stellantis sold 14.6% fewer cars, with significant declines at Citroën, Fiat and Peugeot, in particular.
Renault remains fourth in May (-10.3%, the progression of Dacia not offsetting the decline in Renault cars), doubled as in April by the Korean group Hyundai-Kia, the only one to progress (+9.8%) with Toyota (+5.1%), Nissan (+7.7%) and Honda (+15.4%).
BMW-Mini fell 14.4% and Mercedes-Benz 6%.
© 2022 AFP