Volkswagen's EU share: new-car registrations in 2020

In December 2020, the VW brand's share of new-car registrations in the European Union stood at around 13 percent. The Volkswagen Group had an overall EU market share of 26 percent in December 2020.

Car sales trending downward

Customers in the European Union purchased some 1.15 million Volkswagen-badged vehicles in 2020, down from more than 1.5 million units one year earlier. The Volkswagen brand took a big hit, but still managed to sell more vehicles than any other brand in the EU. Overall, EU car sales came to just shy of 10 million units with Volkswagen's domestic market, Germany, accounting for almost 30 percent of the total.

Introduction of ID3 to comply with tougher regulations

In the face of new EU emissions standards and WLTP rules, electric vehicles are projected to fare better than conventional cars in the European Union, and Volkswagen's new ID3 model is expected to woo customers. The new WTLP test was created in response to the diesel emissions scandal of 2015, in which the Volkswagen Group played a central role. New test conditions aim to replicate real-world driving conditions to get a more accurate picture of the emissions produced on Europe’s roads. Following the test’s introduction, September sales of passenger cars fell by 23.5 percent. Passenger vehicle sales in the EU show strong seasonal trends with new cars typically being bought more often between March and June.