The Spanish automobile market registered registrations of 51,907 passenger cars and SUVs in August, which represents an increase of 9.09%, while so far this year it has accumulated a decline of 9.4%, to 533,042 units. According to data from associations of manufacturers (Anfac), dealers (Faconauto) and sellers (Ganvam), deliveries in the private channel fell by 4.3% monthly, with 24,951 units, but grew by 22.9% in the business channel, up to 21,712 units. Vehicle rental companies bought 5,244 vehicles in August, which represents a 37% increase. Between January and August, car deliveries in the private channel stood at 233,413 units, 1.4% less. Companies acquired 224,337 units in the period, 4% more, and ‘rent a car’ registered 75,292 units, 44.6% less. In renting, registrations stood at 16,172 units last month, which is This translates into an increase of 27.7% in the year-on-year comparison, while between January and August the fall in this channel was 7.9%, to 162,804 units. Anfac’s Director of Communication and Marketing, Félix García, pointed out that The increase in monthly sales may be “misleading” since in relation to 2019, in a pre-pandemic context, sales fall above 30% and in the accumulated the contraction of the market with respect to said year is 40%. The sector continues to suffer from the microchip crisis aggravated by the complicated international geopolitical scenario, which generates uncertainty in the economic situation with high inflation and rising money prices,” he explained. On his side, Faconauto’s Director of Communications, Raúl Morales, Inc. The crisis that the automotive industry is experiencing is “unprecedented” and its consequences for employment and competitiveness are “unpredictable.” “The inaction and unwillingness of the Government to meet with the sector is not understood, as we have already requested from Faconauto or from the UGT itself, to find measures that promote the viability of such a strategic activity for the economy and consumption”, stressed Morales. In addition, Tania Puche, Director of Communication at Ganvam, highlighted that sales to individuals, which are the ones that mark the health of the market, completed a quarter in decline in August, due to the climate of economic uncertainty. “This weakness in demand is evidenced by the fact that, in a context of lack of supply derived from the supply crisis, the remaining vehicles have not gone to the private channel, which is the one that is prioritized because it is the one that contributes the most profitability, but to the rental channel,” added Puche. Gasoline models dominate the market in AugustThe Spanish market was dominated in August by gasoline models, which accounted for 43% of sales, compared to a 17.3% share of diesel and 39.7% of other technologies, while between January and last month, 43.3% of penetration corresponded to gasoline models, 17.4% to diesel and 39.2% to vehicles with other technologies. In August, the segment of small minivans was the one that fell the most, 24.9%, while the sports car segment was the one that grew the most, 103.1% in the year-on-year comparison. In the first eight months of 2022, only the segment of large minivans (+28%), SUVs (+13.1%) and premium (+1.3%) grew. Average carbon dioxide emissions ( CO2) of passenger cars sold in August remain at 122 grams of CO2 per kilometer traveled, 1.3% lower than the average emissions of new passenger cars sold in August 2021. So far this year, emissions have been reduced by 3.8%.