In 2009, total vehicle production in Europe (cars, trucks, buses) decreased by 17.3% compared to 2008 and by 23% compared to the pre-crisis level of 2007. Passenger car production dropped by 13% to 13.4 million units, or the lowest level in fourteen years. Truck production dropped to a historic low (-64%).

Passenger car sales fell by 1.3% in 2009, with demand supported by fleet renewal schemes in 13 EU countries. The market share of vehicles emitting less than 120 gCO2/km rose to 25%*, or 3.2 million cars.

These and other data can be found in the latest ACEA Economic Report . The automobile industry‘s trade association publishes the Economic Report three times a year, giving additional insight in market trends and automotive production.

As automakers further adapted stocks and output levels to the economic situation, total vehicle production in 2009 fell by 17% compared to 2008 and 23% compared to the pre-crisis level of 2007, reaching a total of 15.2 million units.

New passenger car production dropped by 13% compared to 2008 and by 18% compared to 2007. The decrease is the steepest recorded since 1993, when car production in the EU fell by 15.1%. In total, 13.4 million cars were manufactured in 2009, hitting the lowest level since 1996.

The production of passenger cars went up 22.8% in the fourth quarter compared with the low level recorded in the last quarter of 2008. When compared with the pre-crisis level of the fourth quarter of 2007, car production dropped by 7.6%.