July 18 Reuters New car sales in the European Union rose 4.3 in June to their highest since July 2019, driven by an uptick in major markets Italy, Germany, and Spain, while registrations of battery electric cars fell marginally, data from Europe39;s auto industry body showed on Thursday.

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association ACEA said a rise in registrations of battery electric cars in Belgium and Italy, of 50.4 and 117.4 respectively, failed to offset double digit declines in Germany, the Netherlands and France.

WHY IT39;S IMPORTANT

Top European carmakers are betting on car sales to pick up over the year, despite cooling electric vehicle EV demand after several years of strong growth and warnings that the global market will be tough.

BY THE NUMBERS

Sales of battery electric and plugin cars in June fell by an annual 1 and 19.9 respectively in the EU, while those of hybridelectric cars grew 26.4, the ACEA data showed.

In the first six months of the year registrations of battery electric cars rose 1.3.

EVs whether fully electric, plugin hybrids or full hybrids sold in the EU accounted for 50 of all new passenger car registrations in June, up from 47.5 a year earlier.

Car registrations at Europe39;s three largest carmakers Volkswagen, Stellantis, and Renault grew by 4.7, 0.4 and 6.2 respectively in June.

CONTEXT

Germany, the bloc39;s largest EV market, in December brought an early end to subsidies for buying EVs as part of a lastminute 2024 budget…