Chute des ventes : l’Allemagne touchée par la crise automobile européenne

Infographie : F. Descheemaekere

Plunging Sales : Germany Infected by European Automotive Plague

[Spiegel Online]

Car sales in Germany plunged in September, ending the country's surprising resistance to the ongoing crisis in the European automotive industry. Overall, the sector is facing its worst performance in the European Union in 17 years -- and there is no turnaround in sight.

For the first six months of this year, car sales in Germany had managed to steer around the industry crisis hitting other European markets. But now the Continent-wide slump appears to have begun moving north. On Tuesday, the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) announced that new car registrations in Germany were down some 11 percent in September against the same month last year. The steep drop marked the third consecutive month that new car sales have fallen in Germany, following 5 percent drops in both July and August.
But the KBA was quick to note that, because this year September had two fewer work days than it did in 2011, the actual drop was closer to 2 percent. Nevertheless, the new data shows that the European-wide car crisis is no longer confined to the south.

Lire : spiegel.de