Surprising Facts About European Cars

Europe is known for its quality, performance and style when it comes to cars. But there’s so much more to the European automotive industry than meets the eye. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at some surprising facts about European cars that will blow your mind!

Car Usage in Europe

Did you know that almost 80% of inland journeys in Europe are made by car? That’s right – be it private car, taxi or carsharing, passenger cars are the number one source of mobility for Europeans, taking us some 12,000 kilometers on average per year. This high level of car usage is reflected in the number of cars on the road – there are currently 246 million cars in the EU, with an average age of 11.8 years.

Car Registrations and Exports

Despite this high level of car usage, the number of new car registrations in the EU has actually decreased in recent years. In 2021, 9.7 million passenger cars were registered in the EU – a decrease of 2.4% compared to the previous year. But don’t let that fool you – European cars remain popular worldwide! In fact, 5,078,894 European cars were exported worldwide in 2021, worth nearly €127 billion.

Electric Vehicles and Emissions

One trend that is on the rise in Europe is the popularity of electrically-powered vehicles. In fact, 18% of new cars sold in the EU are now electrically-powered. This shift towards electric vehicles is also having a positive impact on the environment – average new car emissions are now 116.3g CO2/km, a decrease of 16.6% since 2010.

Clean Production

But it’s not just electric vehicles that are making a difference – Europe is also leading the way when it comes to clean production. The amount of water and energy used to manufacture a vehicle is decreasing, and much less CO2 and waste is produced in the process.

These are just a few of the many interesting facts about European cars. Whether you’re a car enthusiast or simply curious about the automotive industry in Europe, there’s no denying that European cars have a fascinating history and an exciting future ahead.