Volkswagen Group delivered approximately 4.13 million vehicles globally in the first half of this year. While sales in the Chinese market struggled, an increase in orders for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in Europe helped the company maintain a recovery trend.
According to Volkswagen Group, global vehicle deliveries for the first half of the year (January to June) totaled 4,125,700, a 6.3% decrease from 4,405,400 during the same period last year.
The overall decline in sales was primarily due to reduced deliveries in the Chinese market, where 973,000 vehicles were sold, marking a 25.9% drop from 1,313,800 units the previous year. Deliveries in the Asia-Pacific region, including China, fell 24% to 1,118,300 units compared to the same period last year.
In contrast, deliveries in Europe increased by 3.5% to 2,041,000 units. Western Europe saw a 2.9% rise, while Central and Eastern Europe experienced a 7.2% increase. In South America, strong sales in Brazil contributed to an 8.3% increase, totaling 327,200 units.
The electric vehicle market showed significant regional disparities. Global BEV deliveries in the first half of the year totaled 438,500, a 5.8% decrease from the previous year. However, in Europe, 377,000 BEVs were sold, representing an 8.4% growth. Consequently, Volkswagen Group's market share for BEVs in Western Europe expanded from 20% to 21%. In contrast, BEV deliveries in the United States and China fell by 68.8% and 47.9%, respectively.
In the European market, the recent launch of urban electric vehicle models has driven sales. The Volkswagen ID. Polo, Skoda Epic, and Cupra Raval, all entry-level electric vehicles, have secured over 54,000 orders since their release. The volume of BEV orders in Europe has increased by more than 50% compared to the end of last year, with BEVs now accounting for over 30% of all new orders.
Sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) also expanded. Global deliveries of PHEVs and EREVs in the first half of the year reached 246,000, a 27% increase from the same period last year. The first EREV model launched in the Chinese market, the ID. ERA 9X, recorded over 10,000 deliveries.
Marco Schubert, a member of the Volkswagen Group's Sales Division Executive Management Committee, stated, "The situation in the Chinese market remains challenging, but the increase in pure electric vehicle orders in Europe, which have risen by over 50% since the end of last year, indicates a positive trend."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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