Car sales in the EU surged in January, following a weaker December, and Croatia again recorded double-digit growth, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed on Tuesday.
In January, 851,690 new cars were registered in the EU, an increase of 12.1 percent compared to the same month last year, ACEA calculated.
The result indicates a recovery of the European market at the beginning of 2024, after a 3.3 percent decline in December.
Among the leading markets, sales in Germany, the largest market, rose the most in January, by 19.1 percent. Italy also recorded double-digit growth at a rate of 10.6 percent. France is close behind with a sales increase of 9.2 percent, while Spain ranks fourth with a growth rate of 7.3 percent.
In Croatia, 4,492 new cars were registered in the first month of this year, according to ACEA data, which is 30.7 percent more than in January 2023. In December, sales increased by 36.6 percent.
The market share of battery electric vehicles decreased in January to 10.9 percent, down from 18.5 percent in December, as the surge in sales did not compensate for the sharp decline at the end of 2023.
Gasoline vehicles confirmed their leading position with a market share of 35.2 percent, while hybrid cars ranked second with a share of nearly 30 percent, ACEA reported.
Data for Croatia shows a 57.3 percent decline in sales of battery electric vehicles, but also a 93.9 percent surge in sales of hybrid electric models.
