Romanian auto market registers sharpest year-on-year decline in Europe in May
Passenger car registrations in Romania recorded the sharpest year-on-year decline in Europe in May, according to data published Wednesday, June 25, by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, or ACEA, which represents the 16 major car manufacturers in Europe. Regionally, however, the situation is different, as the auto market in Europe returned to growth.
Overall, ACEA reported that 1.11 million passenger cars were registered in May 2025 in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), an increase of 1.9% compared to the same month in 2024.
The EU auto market recorded a year-on-year advance of 1.6%, reaching 926,582 passenger cars. By contrast, the auto market in Romania registered a 32.7% annual decline, as only 10,521 passenger cars were registered last month, compared to 15,643 in May of last year.
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 passenger cars registered in May 2025 in the European Union were electric vehicles, a category that includes battery-electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and hybrid vehicles. By comparison, in May of last year, the share of electric vehicles was 48.9%.
Among the leading generalist car manufacturers, a significant increase of 4.6% in registrations was recorded in May by the French group Renault, which registered 111,395 passenger cars in Europe. Renault's performance is mainly due to the Dacia brand, whose registrations rose by 13.2% year-on-year, reaching 49,415 units.
In the first five months of the year, 249,593 Dacia passenger cars were registered in Europe, up 1.8% year-on-year, with Dacia’s market share reaching 4.5%.
The troubles that the Romanian auto market is facing are set to deepen as earlier this month the Government suspended its flagship 2025 scrappage grant scheme, citing fiscal constraints.
(Photo source: Vlad Ispas/Dreamstime.com)
