Europe car sales lowest since 1996 following 12-month decline

Volkswagen Group was the hardest-hit major carmaker with nearly a quarter less sales than last June. Picture: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg

Europe registered the lowest number of new passenger cars in the month of June this year since 1996 at just over 1.06m vehicles, with some carmakers seeing sales drop by nearly 50%, data from Europe's automobile association showed on Friday.

Volkswagen Group was the hardest-hit major carmaker with nearly a quarter less sales than last June. Across the first half year, however, Stellantis has seen the biggest drop so far at 21.1%.