For August 2025, the Western European PV (passenger vehicles – cars) market continued its trend of growth as registrations climbed 3% YoY, with a total of 677k units. That gain, however, comes off an already weak August 2024, leaving the month’s performance relatively modest. Overall, 2025 remains challenging for the sector: YTD sales are essentially flat versus a weak 2024, at 7.7 million units.
Across the region’s five major markets, only Spain delivered a genuinely encouraging result, extending its year‑long streak of strong growth. Elsewhere, the positive monthly YoY results, notably in France, Germany and Italy, could not offset weak performances owing to weak economic backdrops.
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Of the big five markets, Spain’s was easily the most impressive. Spain remains one of the region’s strongest growth markets, with sales up 17% YoY—its fourth consecutive month of growth above 15% and a full 12 months of continuous expansion thanks to the MOVES plan, which is stimulating both private and commercial demand.
France and Germany also grew by 2% YoY and 5% YoY respectively, though their monthly gains were too modest to shift overall market sentiment. Germany’s outlook does look more favourable with increasing fiscal support heading into 2026, while political headwinds in France, especially surrounding the country’s fiscal deficit, continue to dampen consumer confidence and sales.
The Italian PV market fell for a fourth consecutive month in August as registrations totalled 67k units, down nearly 3% YoY; August 2025 registrations were weak mainly due to one fewer working day, compounded by a longer‑term demand shortfall versus 2019 and sharp declines in petrol/diesel cars, while ongoing regulatory uncertainty and consumers delaying purchases as the market transitions toward electrification (awaiting incentives and clearer rules) further depressed volumes.
The UK PV market registered 83k units in August 2025, a second consecutive month of decline, with sales down 2% YoY — August is a weak month traditionally in the UK though, while September’s result will be pivotal, as the new number-plate cycle usually accounts for about one in every seven new car registrations annually.
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By GlobalData
This article was first published on GlobalData’s dedicated research platform, the Automotive Intelligence Center.
