Welcome back everyone! This week’s aftermarket pulse is a blend of hope and despair:
Italy finally waves a fat cheque at EV buyers, yet July saw its weakest BEV month of the year.
Used‑car markets ride a rollercoaster: Spain’s second‑hand BEVs soar, while France and Germany barely budge.
UK van sales slump, but electric vans quietly climb.
Tesla’s star dims across much of Europe yet shines in Norway, and Brussels waits for Washington to send a tariff love letter.
SDCM warns that Europe’s car industry is hemorrhaging jobs, even as Poland finally fixes inspection fees
Italy: incentives vs reality. New BEV registrations rose 37.6 % YoY in July to 5 ,864, yet this was the smallest monthly total in 2025. Battery‑EVs held only 4.9 % market share for the month and 5.2 % YTD. In response, the government announced a €600 million incentive programme starting in September: households with annual income under €30 k can get up to €11 k per EV, those earning €30 – 40 k up to €9 k, and micro‑enterprises can obtain 30 % of the purchase price (capped at €20 k). Policymakers hope to sell at least 39 ,000 EVs by June 2026.1
Used‑car markets diverge. Autovista24’s mid‑year assessment showed mixed Q2 results: the UK saw transactions rise 1.7 % to 1.996 M, with BEV transactions surging 40 % but still only 9.7 % share. Germany was flat (–0.1 %), Italy up **1.7 %, France down 0.3 %, and Spain down 2.2 %. Spain’s used‑BEV sales jumped 51.9 % but still made up only 1.2 % of its used‑car market.2
UK light‑commercial vehicles still sliding. July new‑LCV registrations fell 5.1 %, the eighth consecutive monthly decline, and YTD volumes were down 11.3 %. Battery‑electric LCVs are forecast to reach 8.6 % market share this year and 13.7 % in 2026, well below the UK’s 24 % ZEV mandate. Nevertheless, all‑electric van registrations continued a 10‑month growth streak; July deliveries of 2 ,442 units gave BEVs a 10.3 % share, and YTD registrations increased 55.5 %.3
Global EV momentum slows but Europe excels. Rho Motion reported that global EV (BEV + PHEV) sales grew 21 % in July—the slowest pace in 2025—but Europe’s sales surged 48 % (~390 k units) while China’s growth slowed to 12 %.4
Tesla’s mixed fortunes. Reuters highlighted that Tesla’s European registrations tumbled in July (–86 % in Sweden, –52 % in Denmark, –62 % in the Netherlands, –58 % in Belgium and –49 % in Portugal), yet grew 24 % in Norway, making the country its second‑largest European market. Analysts credited Norway’s robust charging infrastructure and long‑standing brand loyalty.5
EU‑US trade deal uncertainty. The European Commission said the U.S. has so far implemented only the 15 % baseline tariff on EU car exports; the wider framework to reduce tariffs from 27.5 % awaits a presidential order. EU officials cannot provide a timeline for the additional carve‑outs.6
Industry diversification. VW shareholder Porsche SE announced plans to create an investment platform targeting Europe’s growing defense sector, reflecting automakers’ search for new revenue streams amid a weak auto market.7
Europe’s automotive crisis deepens. SDCM Poland warned on 12 Aug that Europe is losing factories and thousands of jobs due to high energy prices, rising wages and regulatory burdens. Manufacturers are relocating production to China, the U.S., Mexico and Brazil, and Chinese carmakers are expanding aggressively.8
It’s a week of contrasts, proving once again that in the aftermarket world, no turn is ever quite expected. See you in the next one!
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.