Increase in new car sales in June

In the first half of the year, a total of 61,258 new passenger cars were registered. That is 8 percent fewer than at the same time last year

– With the fluctuations we have seen in new car sales so far this year, it is surprising that we are not further behind last year. The second half of the year usually produces higher new car sales than the first, says director Øyvind Solberg Thorsen of the Road Traffic Information Council (OFV).

Tighter times

The total car sales for 2024 might end up with around 130,000 new passenger cars if this trend continues, estimates Solberg Thorsen.

– We will only get the results at the turn of the year, but the new car market is different and unnatural at the moment. One can speculate regarding the reasons, but to a certain extent it probably reflects both economic uncertainty and the fact that many people are more restricted. New car sales are often a kind of temperature gauge on people’s finances. And it is still moderation and more affordable cars that characterize new car buyers’ choices now, which was not the case a few years ago, he continues.

It is in particular brands such as Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo that attracted the most new car buyers to the contract table in the first half of the year.

Electric car at its best

The proportion of electric cars in June ended at almost 80 per cent, with 14,001 electric cars. There are more in number, but a slight decline in the share compared to last year. At the same time, the proportion of petrol hybrids, which are mostly small cars, more than doubled in June compared to the same period last year. Of around 17,500 first-time registered new passenger cars, 2,050 were petrol hybrids.

In the first half of the year, the proportion of electric vehicles ended at 85 per cent. There is a small increase in the share compared to the same period last year. The proportion of clean petrol and diesel cars was only 3.7 per cent in total, while the proportion of petrol hybrids was 7.9 per cent – ​​a clear increase in proportion and number.