Thanks to its database and the network of local correspondents, focus2move.com is now able to release sales data for the entire Europe, from Portugal to Ukraine. The countries included are not only those inside the European Community - as released by ACEA association - but also others, such as Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia, Moldova, Bulgaria, Belarus, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Moreover, data includes cars and light commercial vehicles in order to give a better view of the True European light passenger markets and allow a pear with pear comparison with the rest of the World.
In January 2014, European light passenger vehicle market figures were 1.284k up 2.7% from year ago. Among Big Countries, Russia, France and Turkey have lost from last year while UK, Germany, Italy and Spain posted growth that would be confirmed across the year.
Total vehicles sold in Europe declined at 17.7 million in 2013 from 19.06 in 2011 and base projections for 2014 are for a little decline at 17.6 million.
Last quarter 2013 data (corroborated by a strong December increase over year ago) and now the January positive start have finally created a renewed optimistic general opinion on European car market 2014 performance. Indeed Top Executives official announcement released tomorrow at the opening of Geneva Motorshow will remain conservative and they will project the market down again.
Indeed European zone GDP will move ahead this year following years of low growth and financial speculation over PIGS (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain) gave up month ago now focusing on other opportunities, following the strong defense of Euro zone applied by BCE policy and progressive effect of harsh cut of expenses.
Until a week ago, two elements were limiting the European market recovery: the huge level of unemployment in the South of the Region and the high level of circulating park per people in Western Europe where a new kind of mobility systems are questioning the rule of car ownership for people commuting.
Today, travelling to the most relevant Motorshow event in Europe, the Ukraine crisis with Russian military invasion of Crimea, could totally change the political, economic, monetary and social scenario with direct negative impact of car markets.
Russian declaration to invade a country to "protect Russian people inside" is similar to what Germany said in 1938, invading Sudeten province inside current Czech Republic. Times are different and a global war is unlikely, but economic effects will hit the continent, for sure. Actually it is too early to project effect of this new and unpredicted scenario, but it will move projection down.
In the table below, all European countries including sales for car passengers and light commercial vehicles (in red the country with year-on-year loss in January 2014):
Source: focus2move
