• January saw strong volume growth across the European car market
• SUVs experienced increased popularity, while Tesla led the BEV market
• Despite increased demand for BEVs, market share hit its lowest since January 2023

According to JATO Dynamics’ data from 28 European markets*, 1,011,281 new passenger cars were registered in January 2024 – marking a rise of 11% when compared to January 2023. A large portion of this growth was driven by demand for electric cars and plug-in hybrids.

SUVs, sports cars and compact cars saw increased popularity in January. In particular, 543,000 SUVs were registered – accounting for over half (52.8%) of total European registrations and marking a rise of 1.2 points from the same period last year. Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics, commented: “It’s clear that SUVs are not losing their shine to European consumers, despite these vehicles being subject to new campaigns and regulations in certain countries.”

97% of Jaguar Land Rover’s volume in January came from SUVs. Similarly, these vehicles accounted for 92% of Nissan’s volume, 86% of Geely’s (including Volvo and Polestar), and 79% of Chinese brands (excluding Geely and SAIC groups).

In contrast, SUVs were less popular for Mitsubishi and Renault Group, with the vehicles accounting for just 31% and 34% of volume registered, respectively. Felipe Munoz, added: “From the 19 car groups we analysed, SUVs were the best-selling vehicles among 14 of them – a significant achievement for the segment.”

While Volkswagen Group led the SUV segment with 23% of overall share, its volume declined by 4% compared to January 2023. In contrast, over the same period, Stellantis saw a 25% increase in volume, as the second-largest SUV seller. This performance comes as a result of strong registrations recorded for the Peugeot 2008, Opel/Vauxhall Mokka, and Jeep Avenger.

The top 10 most registered SUVs for the month were: the Toyota Yaris Cross; Peugeot 2008; Volkswagen T-Roc; Kia Sportage; Ford Puma; Dacia Duster; Hyundai Tucson; Nissan Qashqai; Tesla Model Y; and Volkswagen Tiguan.

Electric cars fall behind

Interestingly, while volume for new electric vehicles increased by 29% from January 2023 figures, these vehicles took just 12% of the total market share in January 2024, with 120,536 registered. This marks the lowest levels recorded for new registrations since their 10% share in January 2023.

Felipe Munoz said: “While interest in electric vehicles remains strong among consumers and fleets, these vehicles are no longer enjoying the same growth rate seen over the last year and a half. It is clear that a lack of affordable models alongside regulatory uncertainty continues to have an impact on mass adoption across Europe.”

Tesla led the BEV brand ranking, accounting for 15% of the share – up from 10% in January 2023. This comes thanks to the success of the Model Y – as the most registered electric vehicle in January 2024, and the 2023 best-selling electric vehicle in Europe. The Model Y outperformed combined volume registrations for all BMW models, which was the second brand in the ranking. The Model 3 also saw a significant uplift in market share, with an increase of 344% from January 2023.

Volvo were third in the ranking due to the strong performance of the EX30, making up over a quarter (28%) of its BEV registrations. Audi and Mercedes followed this, outselling Volkswagen, whose volume dropped by 28%.

Volkswagen Group registered the highest volume of electric vehicles, retaining its crown. In January it held 18% of market share of these vehicles (down from 25% in January 2023). The German maker was closely followed by Tesla, and Stellantis with 15% and 12.6% market share respectively.

Sandero leads while the Golf climbs to second position

The Dacia Sandero once again secured the top spot among the overall model ranking. The Romanian, Renault-owned brand registered more than 25,000 units of its B-hatchback, up by 20%, due to strong results recorded in Italy and Germany – its second and third largest markets, respectively.

The Sandero was followed by the Volkswagen Golf, with its volume increasing by 62%. The compact benefited from strong registrations increases across its three largest markets – Germany, the UK, and France.

Among the latest entries, the Jeep Avenger did well, recording more than 7,200 units (its electric model accounted for 22% of this total). The Volvo EX30 registered more than 2,300 units, becoming the fourth most popular Volvo. BYD registered 1,257 units of the Atto 3, while Kia registered 1,242 units of the EV9. The Smart #1 recorded almost 1,100 units, outselling the Fortwo. Mitsubishi registered 1,074 units of the Colt, and BMW registered 1,073 units of the i5.

You can see the full rankings by OEM, brand, model and segments by submitting the form below:

Contact:     

Bex Barton, +44 7874 866091 jatoteam@firstlightgroup.io

Felipe Munoz, +57 314 680 9848, Felipe.munoz@jato.com