Domestic passenger car market continues normalization
Exports again show strong gains – production is still rising
Berlin, 2 June 2010. The international passenger car markets are continuing to improve. In May German manufacturers’ exports of passenger cars totaled 367,700, which was 46 per cent up on the weak result in May last year. Since the beginning of this year exports have risen by almost half, to 1.77 million units.
Matthias Wissmann, President of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), stressed, "The German automotive companies are exploiting the opportunity in particular on the international growth markets. So far this year important impetus has come mainly from China and the US.”
The positive development on the world markets has continued steadily overall. Last month incoming orders from abroad increased by 22 per cent – the tenth monthly rise in succession. Production in German plants was increased to 470,100 vehicles in response to the strong export business. This represents growth of 10 per cent as compared to the booming production figures of May 2009. The increase came to 26 per cent in the first five months of the current year. Wissmann said, "The dynamic development on the foreign markets is having a positive impact on domestic production and compensating for the expected shrinkage of the German market.”
The domestic market is continuing to get back to normal. Due to the special effects of the previous year, new registrations in May fell by 34 per cent to 252,800 vehicles. However, the number of new passenger car registrations in the first five months is 4 per cent above the long-term level in relation to the average for the years 2009 and 2010.
The German manufacturers continued expanding their domestic market share, reaching 71 per cent. In the first five months, seven out of ten cars registered in Germany were German group brands.
