[Global Network Comprehensive Report] According to the European version of “Automotive News”, due to the EU’s implementation of new automotive testing procedures in September, market demand was affected, and sales of Volkswagen Group’s brands in Europe fell sharply in September.
In August, before the release of the Global Unified Light Vehicle Emissions Test Standard (WLTP), many automakers introduced incentives to sell inventories. WLTP took effect on September 1, and car sales subsequently declined. In September, the delivery of Volkswagen brand in Europe fell by 43%. Volkswagen said in a statement that the decline caused the brand’s global sales to drop by 18%.
Juergen Stackmann, head of mass-brand sales, said the company expects sales to decline after a record sales record this summer. He said that October sales will also be affected by the new test standards. “From November onwards, we will be ready for the sprint at the end of Europe.” Several popular Volkswagen models failed to meet the WLTP regulations, causing a sales bottleneck. According to the company, all popular models of the Volkswagen brand now comply with the new regulations.
Audi said in a statement that Europe’s sales in the past two months were higher than the global average due to the sell-off of stock models. But then Audi’s sales in Europe plummeted 56% in September, causing the brand’s global sales to fall 22% that month. Audi said: “The restrictions on increasingly vacant stores and sales mix have had a negative impact on sales in September.” The company expects delivery at the end of the year to be almost the same as last year.
Skoda said that the company’s sales in Western Europe fell by 33%, down 16% globally. The company has unified new standards for all models, but some engine-transmissions are temporarily unavailable. Seagate blamed WLTP for its 21% decline in global sales in September, but did not release any sales data to the market this month. The president of the SEAT Board, Luca de Mayo, said in a statement that the last quarter would be a “challenge” because WLTP would have an impact on the number of car registrations in Europe.
Post time: Oct-22-2018