The registrations of cars and SUVs in the month of October grew by 6.3% compared to the same period last year, up to 93,961 units, with one working day more than in October 2018. The WLTP effect conditioned the sales of cars and SUVs in the last section of 2018, which in comparison has caused a moderate recovery in the accumulated of the year, with a fall to October of 6.3% and 1,059,275 units. This evolution has been driven mainly by the channel of companies that during this month has grown by 28.8%.
The market maintains some worrying records in sales in the private channel, down 6.9% compared to the same month of 2018, which had already withdrawn. The sale of this channel is the only one that registers negative figures in October, continuing with the downward trend marked throughout the year. In 2019, 485,011 units have been registered, which is 12.4% less than the previous year. The rental channel remains at a stable level this month, approaching pre-crisis figures, with a growth of 7.4%.
Light commercial vehicles
In October, 17,250 light commercial vehicles were registered, 1.9% less than in the same month last year. The self-employed channel grows 12.7% in the month and the company channel is the only one that falls, 10%. In the first ten months, the sale of these vehicles registered a growth of 1.6%, with 181,541 units.
Industrial and buses
Enrollment of industrial vehicles, buses, coaches and minibuses has grown by 15.4% during October, with 3,864 units, unlike the downward trend it had in recent months. The sales that increase the most are those of heavy industrial vehicles, with a growth of 23.2%. In the accumulated year, sales of this segment recovered slightly, with an increase of 0.5% and 23,759 units.
Declarations
Aránzazu Mur, director of the economic and logistics area of the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers, ANFAC, stressed that “despite the positive result in the month of October, the evolution of demand is still not aligned with the economic evolution. The private market has had a negative result even considering the retraction of the market in 2018. Uncertainty and confusion continue to affect this market, which is more than 50% of the demand. It has broken the positive trend it had until August 2018 and its volume is now even below 2017. Only companies are holding the market and they will depend on the closing of the year that, for now, we are in a negative and with a 3% drop. All this is, if possible, more worrying if one takes into account that while the demand for new vehicles falls, used vehicles of more than 20 years have a growth rate of 18% so far this year. There is a demand for mobility on the part of citizens, but it is derived from un environmental and safe solutions. We must be able to attract demand to the new vehicle. ”
Raúl Morales, Communication Director of Automotive Dealers, Faconauto, indicates that “the October vehicle registration data is somewhat misleading because the private market, the one-to-one sale made by the dealership, has fallen again and the increase in the month is only explained by the unusual behavior of the Sales to companies. In any case, we hope that the messages of tranquility that the sector is sending regarding the future of motorizations, especially diesel, will gradually penetrate the private buyer and their confidence can be regained, something that the sector needs. For the months of November and December, the market will be mediated because brands will want to enroll those models that can penalize them when they meet the CO2 emission targets imposed by Europe by 2020. Therefore, there will be self-registration, which They will be a good opportunity for those who want to change cars. We hope, in any case, that dealers do not have to take on more self-registration than necessary. ”
According to the Communication Director of the National Association of Motor Vehicle Vendors, Repair and Parts, Ganvam, Tania Puche, “the market closes October in positive, thanks to the strong pull of the company channel. Behind these two-digit growths there is a strong volume of tactical registrations to allow the stock of vehicles with higher emissions to be released and thus, be able to start the year as “clean” as possible, given the entry into force of community regulations which requires that by 2020, in just two months, 95% of vehicles registered by manufacturer in Europe emit an average of 95 g of CO2 per kilometer; A great effort if we consider that in 2018 the average was around 120 grams CO2 per km. If we look at the channel of individuals, it continues to decline, which is a clear symptom of the weakness of the market and the need for dynamic measures of demand. With this perspective, and although the declines are moderated in the last part of the year, the year-end will mark a negative sign. We hope that the new appointment with the polls of the next day 10 will give rise to a stable government that will allow to promote measures for the automotive sector after four years of stoppage ”.