EU auto industry calls for 'urgent relief measures' as electric car sales plummet

European automakers have called on governments for "urgent relief measures" before new emissions targets for cars and vans come into effect next year, as sales of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) across the region continue to fall.

The call comes as the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (otherwise known as ACEA) reported new car registrations data for August, which showed that the BEV market share tanked by a third last month.

BEVs accounted for just 14.4% of all new cars registered in August, compared with 21% the year before.

BEV sales totalled just 92,627 units across the EU last month, down a staggering 44% from the 165,204 sold in August 2023, with the two biggest markets, Germany and France, seeing year-on-year falls of 69% and 33% respectively.

This was the fourth straight monthly decline this year, and compared with almost consistent monthly increases in 2023.

Plug-in hybrid car registrations also fell 22% to 45,590 units and accounted for just 7.1% of the total new car market, down from 7.4% previously. Hybrid-electric vehicles, however, saw a 7% rise to 201,552 units, accounting for 31.3% of the market, up from 24%.

Auto manufacturers, united with the ACEA, said they supported the EU's 2050 transport decarbonisation targets, but called for action from EU institutions.

"Today, vehicle technology and the availability of zero-emission vehicles are not bottlenecks. We are playing our part in this transition, but unfortunately, the other necessary elements for this systemic shift are not in place. An aggravating factor is the rapid erosion of the EU’s competitiveness," the ACEA said in a statement.

The association called for a package of "short-term relief" for the CO2 targets due to kick in in 2025, plus secondary legislation to get the zero-emission transition back on track.

Traditional fuel cars weren't immune to the downturn in August either. Petrol car sales fell 17% to represent 33.1% of the market, while the diesel new car market slumped 26% to account for 11.2% of all sales.