European Automobile Industry: European car sales show a tentative recovery - by Holly Ellyatt

European car sales bounced back in the first half of the year and rose almost 15 percent in June alone – even in Greece, according to new car sales data, signalling a tentative rise in consumer confidence over the regions' economic recovery.

New car sales in the European Union (EU) rose 8.2 percent in the first half of the year, according to data published by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association on Thursday, surpassing 7 million units (7,169,984).

All major markets posted growth, contributing to the overall upturn of the EU market over the period, the EAMA said.

In June alone, new passenger car registrations in the region rose 14.6 percent from the same month a year ago, continuing an upward trend that started 22 months ago "and marking the largest over-the-month increase since December 2009," the association added.

Read more: European car sales show a tentative recovery

European Car Industry: Electric Car Sales In EU Increase 77%

In the first half of 2014, electric car sales were up 77% in Europe. The big driver of that growth (no pun intended) was Norway, which saw its sales increase 302% compared to the first half of 2013. France, in the #2 position, actual saw a small decrease in sales — though, its sales have picked up again in the past couple of months.

Like Norway but not to such a strong extent, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden all saw strong increases in electric car sales. Italy saw a slight increase.

As far as the top electric cars, they were the Nissan Leaf (7,109), Tesla Model S (5,330), and Renault Zoe (3,669). Tesla Model S sales were largely in Norway (over 3,000 there), while Renault Zoe sales were largely in France (over 1,600 there).

Read more: Electric Car Sales In EU Increase 77% | CleanTechnica

European Automobile Industry: Europe's Car Sales Fall For Sixth Year

Europe's new car registrations declined for the sixth consecutive year in 2013, as recovery in demand over the second half of the year was insufficient to offset deep contractions seen in earlier months.

New car sales dropped 1.7 percent to 11.8 million units in 2013, data published by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association or ACEA showed Thursday.

In terms of annual volumes, ACEA said 2013 was the worst year since 1995, when data was compiled for 15 EU countries, and the worst ever since it began the series in 2003 with the enlarged EU.

PSA Peugeot Citroen sales plunged 8.4 percent in 2013 and Italy's Fiat suffered a 7.1 percent decline. General Motor's sales were down 4.3 percent and that of Ford slipped 3.2 percent. On the other hand, sales of Renault grew 4.4 percent and that of Jaguar Land Rover by 9.7 percent.

Meanwhile, overall car registrations in December alone increased at the fastest pace since end-2009, driven by price reductions offered by manufacturers. Sales grew 13.3 percent from the previous year, which was the fourth consecutive annual rise.

Read more: Europe's Car Sales Fall For Sixth Year: ACEA