Auto watch: Battery-electric vehicles lose market share in Europe again

European electric cars registrations of battery-electric cars declined by 10.8% in July to 102,705 units, according to The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. The total market share of BEV vehicles in Europe slipped to 12.1% in July from 13.5% a year before. Despite gains in Belgium (+44.2%), the Netherlands (+8.9%), and France (+1%), Germany’s decline (-36.8%) could not be offset. From January to July, EAMA reported that 815,399 new battery-electric cars were registered, representing 12.5% of the market.

Notably, plug-in hybrid car registrations saw a 14.1% decline last month, despite a 3.2% increase in Germany. In July, plug-in hybrids accounted for 6.8% of the total car market, down from 7.9% last year, with 57,679 units sold. Meanwhile, hybrid-electric vehicles saw growth in July, with car registrations rising by 25.7% to 273,003 units. All four of the largest markets for the hybrid segment recorded double-digit gains: France (+47.4%), Spain (+31.5%), Germany (+22.4%), and Italy (+17.4%). The growth pushed the hybrid-electric market share to 32% in July from 25.5% a year ago.

The BEV slump in Europe could impact Volkswagen (OTCPK:VLKAF), Stellantis (STLA), Renault Group (OTCPK:RNSDF), Mercedes-Benz (OTCPK:MBGAF), Hyundai (OTCPK:HYMTF), Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), BMW (OTCPK:BMWYY), and Volvo. Some Chinese automakers such as NIO (NIO), Zeekr (ZK), and BYD Company (OTCPK:BYDDF) are also looking to sell in Europe.