Bulgaria's January - August 2023 passenger car registrations increase by 22.9%

author: FutureCar Staff    

In January-August 2023, Bulgaria saw a significant increase in new passenger car registrations, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). The country recorded 24,406 new registrations, marking a 22.9% growth compared to the same period in 2022. Additionally, ACEA reported that in August 2023 alone, Bulgaria experienced a 37.8% increase in new passenger car registrations, with a total of 3,421 cars registered.

Breaking down the data for January-August 2023, ACEA revealed that out of the total new passenger car registrations in Bulgaria, 1,162 were battery-electric cars, 204 were plug-in hybrids, 451 were hybrid-electric cars, and one fell under the "other" category, which includes fuel cell electric vehicles, natural gas vehicles, LPG, E85/ethanol, and other fuels. Furthermore, there were 17,015 petrol cars and 5,573 diesel cars registered during this period.

On a broader scale, the EU car market also experienced growth in August 2023. ACEA reported a 21% expansion, with 787,626 registered units. This marked the 13th consecutive month of growth for the EU market, indicating a rebound from last year's component shortages. Notably, Germany, France, and Italy, the three largest markets, saw double-digit percentage gains of 37.3%, 24.3%, and 11.9%, respectively.

Looking at the period from January to August 2023, new EU car registrations showed substantial growth, totaling 7.1 million units, a 17.9% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. However, despite this improvement, the market still falls short of the pre-Covid-pandemic level of nine million units sold in 2019. Spain, Italy, France, and Germany, the four largest markets, all experienced double-digit percentage gains during this eight-month period.

In August 2023, battery-electric cars surpassed a 20% market share in the EU for the first time, overtaking diesel as the third-most-popular choice for new car buyers. Hybrid-electric cars held their position as the second choice, with a 24% market share. Meanwhile, petrol cars remained the most popular choice, although their market share decreased from 38.7% in August last year to 32.7%.

Specifically, EU battery-electric car registrations in August 2023 surged by 118.1%, reaching 165,165 units and accounting for 21% of the market. Almost all EU markets saw double- and triple-digit percentage growth, with Germany leading the way with a remarkable 170.7% increase. Belgium recorded the highest growth rate at 224.5%. Overall, battery-electric car sales increased by 62.7% from January to August, with nearly 1 million units registered.

During the same period, new EU hybrid-electric car registrations grew by 29%, primarily driven by strong growth in Germany, France, and Spain. Italy, however, saw a slight decline. In total, nearly 1.8 million hybrid-electric cars were sold between January and August, accounting for a quarter of the market.

New EU plug-in hybrid car registrations in August increased by 5.5%, totaling 58,557 units. While major markets like the Netherlands, France, and Sweden performed well, Germany experienced a decline. As a result, the market share of plug-in hybrid cars decreased from 8.5% to 7.4% compared to August last year.

In contrast, the EU petrol car market saw a slight increase of 2.1% in August, although its market share decreased from 38.7% to 32.7% compared to the previous year. Strong performances in Italy and France drove this growth, while most other markets declined.

The EU's diesel car market continued its decline in August, falling by 6%. However, Germany and Central and Eastern European markets, particularly Slovakia and Romania, saw growth. Diesel cars now hold a market share of 12.5%, down from 16.1% in August of the previous year.

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FutureCar Staff