Passenger car and SUV registrations rise 11.7% in October

The passenger car and SUV market achieves sales growth for the third consecutive month, with an increase of 11.7% compared with October of the previous year, for a total of 65,966 units. However, despite this improvement, the month remains below pre-pandemic levels (October 2019), with a decline of 29.8%, when 93,954 units were sold.

The market continues to suffer the consequences of the microchip crisis and the production rhythm problems caused by the shortage of these components. Economic uncertainty is also weighing on purchasing decisions, among other causes, and these factors clearly show that the year-to-date total remains negative, with a decline of 5.8% and 666,247 units in total.

The trend is starting to turn positive

The average CO2 emissions of passenger cars sold in October stood at 120.4 grams of CO2 per kilometre travelled, 0.3% higher than the average emissions of new passenger cars sold in October 2021. Up to October, emissions have fallen 3.3% compared with the same cumulative period of the previous year.

By channel, registrations rose across all of them. The notable increase in both the rental and corporate channels stands out. In the tenth month, sales to businesses grew 22.1% to 29,598 units, and likewise, purchases through the rent-a-car channel accumulated 5,184 units sold, an increase of 39%. Sales to private buyers, meanwhile, recorded a slight increase of 0.4%, with 31,184 new units registered.

Félix García, communication and marketing director at Anfac, explained that “the passenger car and SUV market is growing by more than 11% in October. It is the third consecutive month in which sales have risen in a declining market and a very unfavourable socioeconomic situation. The sector continues to suffer the serious semiconductor crisis that is holding back production. Although demand persists, manufacturers continue to try to minimise the production rhythm problems caused by the shortage of components. As the war in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions in Asia continue, we do not expect the situation to improve before 2023, so in the best-case scenario the market will close at around 820,000 new passenger car registrations, more than 35,000 fewer cars than in 2021“.