The European car market returned to growth in May, following the contraction in April, however, Romania is the country where car registrations recorded the sharpest year-on-year decline in Europe, according to data published on Wednesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

This association, which represents the 16 major car manufacturers in Europe, reported that 1.11 million cars were registered in May 2025 in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), up 1.9% compared with the same month in 2024. The car market in the European Union saw a year-on-year increase of 1.6%, reaching 926,582 vehicles.

By contrast, the car market in Romania recorded a year-on-year contraction of 32.7%, with 10,521 cars registered last month compared with 15,643 in May of the previous year.

Regarding the major markets within the EU, car registrations increased in Spain and Germany, by 18.6% and 1.2% respectively, but fell in France and Italy, by 12.3% and 0.1% respectively.

According to ACEA, 58.9% of new cars registered in the European Union in May 2025 were electric vehicles – a category which includes battery-powered cars, plug-in hybrids, and hybrid vehicles. In comparison, in May of last year, electric vehicles accounted for 48.9% of the market.

Among the main generalist car manufacturers, the French group Renault recorded a significant increase of 4.6% in registrations in May, registering 111,395 vehicles in Europe. Renault’s performance is largely due to the Dacia brand, which saw a 13.2% year-on-year increase in registrations, reaching 49,415 units. In the first five months of the year, 249,593 Dacia vehicles were registered in Europe, a 1.8% year-on-year increase, with Dacia’s market share reaching 4.5%.

AGERPRES