Sales of new cars in Romania decreased by 22.6% in 2020, compared to the previous year, although car registrations increased in the last four months of the year, and the sale of green cars increased by 103.5%, according to data published on Tuesday by the Association of Car Manufacturers and Importers (APIA).

For the whole year 2020, the cars recorded a total volume of 125,004 newly registered units, which corresponds to a decrease of 21.7% compared to the previous year.

APIA data show that, depending on the type of fuel of registered cars, for the whole of 2020, the category of diesel registers a slight increase in market share (+0.5 percentage points), up to a share of 26.9% , compared to 26.4%, as recorded in 2019. Gasoline cars registered a significant decrease of 3.4 percentage points last year, compared to 2019, reaching 66% as a share, according to Agerpres.

In the category, the “green” cars, respectively the electric ones (100% and plug-in hybrids), as well as the full hybrid ones (which also have electric propulsion without charging from an external source), there was an increasing volume of 33.3 %, in 2020, compared to the similar period of the previous year. By subcategories, there was a jump of 89% for all-electric cars and a much more consistent 158% for plug-in hybrid cars. At the same time, full hybrid cars register, at the end of 2020, a positive evolution (+5.2%).

Overall, sales of environmentally friendly cars increased by 103.5% over the previous year, compared to 2019 data.

The top brands of electric vehicles (100% and plug-in hybrids), which are stimulated by the “Rabla Plus” Program, the largest volumes are Renault (934 units), Volkswagen (662), Skoda (425), Hyundai (294 ) and Mercedes Benz (275).

The specialized analysis shows that most of the car acquisitions registered in Romania, in 2020, were done by legal entities, which cover 55% of the total, the rest (45%) belonging to individuals.