10:20 am, October 24, 2024
Europe’s second-largest vehicle manufacturer, Stellantis, suffered a major setback in September, posting a sales slump of 25% across the region.
According to data released by analysts JATO Dynamics this week, the company’s Fiat and Citroen brands saw massive sales drops across European markets, falling by 43% and 41% respectively.
Registrations across all the Stellantis brands (Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Vauxhall, Opel, Jeep, DS, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Abarth and Maserati) fell by 25%, with Vauxhall/Opel recording a 24% drop and Peugeot fairing a little better, recording a smaller drop of just 4%.
Despite the group’s standing as Europe’s second-biggest carmaker, Stellantis only had one vehicle among the continent’s top 10 best-selling cars in the month – the seventh-placed Peugeot 208.
The company recorded a significant fall in sales in 22 of the 28 European markets, most notably in Italy (-34%) and France (-17%), its two main markets.
Felipe Munoz, a global analyst at JATO, said: ‘Stellantis may see these results as an indicator that the time has come to refresh its offering and reposition its BEV (battery electric vehicle) line-up to ensure the downward trend doesn’t continue.’
Demand for BEVs saw a rebound across the region in September as buyers reacted positively to incentives, despite ongoing concerns about the future of electric cars on the continent.
According to JATO data for 28 European markets, a total of 212,197 new BEVs were registered last month – up 14% from September 2023, while the Tesla Model 3 overtook the Dacia Sandero to become the best-selling model overall.
Munoz added: ‘It’s hard to say for certain whether BEVs will continue along this positive trajectory, but the monthly increase in registrations is welcome news – especially considering that consumers still have reservations about the adoption of electric cars.’
Volkswagen Group continues to lead the European car market overall, recording a 2% increase in volumes last month compared with the same month in 2023.
The month saw huge gains for Skoda, which is now the third best-selling car brand in Europe with a 20% uplift in sales.
