Romanian automotive market shrinks 32 percent in nine months

 

Also, for the first time this year, September saw a significant increase in vehicle registrations (cars, commercial vehicles, minibuses and buses) compared to the same month last year (+72.8 percent).

 

The best selling car brand in the reporting interval was Dacia with 26,149 units (-29.6 percent compared to 2019, 31.3 percent market share). Ranked next are Skoda - with 6,615 units (-31.1 percent and 7.9 percent market share), Volkswagen - 6,569 units (-20.7 percent and a 7.9 percent market share), Renault - 6,299 units (-39.8 percent and 7.5 percent market share) and Hyundai - 5,119 units (-14.5 percent, 6.1 percent market share).

 

As of September this year, diesel cars accounted for 21.2 percent of the total of fuel-powered vehicles (despite an increase in their market share to 27 percent from 26 percent in 2019). Gasoline cars recorded a decrease of 3.3 percentage points over the first nine months of 2020 from the same period last year, but hold by far the largest share in the market, specifically 66.6 percent.

 

Sales of 100 percent electric cars, plug-in hybrids and hybrids increased 8.6 percent in the first nine months of 2020 compared to the same period of 2019. By subcategories, sales of fully electric cars increased 40.8 percent, while sales of plug-in hybrid cars jumped 141.3 percent.

 

Legal entities account for the bulk of car purchases nationwide, with 55 percent of the total, while purchases by individuals represent the other 45 percent.