Cars: APIA: Alarming rise in used car imports and decline in new electric car sales,wrong direction

 The alarming increase in imports of used cars and the decline in sales of new electric cars represent a wrong direction for Romania, claims the president of the Automobile Manufacturers and Importers Association (APIA), Dan Vardie, in a press release."The alarming increase in imports of used cars and the decline in sales of new electric cars represent a wrong direction for Romania. The dramatic drop of -33.6% in the BEV sector is a direct consequence of the sudden reduction in the value of subsidies offered through the Rabla Plus program, contrary to APIA recommendations, 2025 will be a crucial year, and the new political decision-makers must come up with quick and effective measures to support the transition towards sustainable mobility and to align the local car market with the European environmental objectives," mentioned Vardie.The analysis carried out by APIA, with the help of CarS - the only online reporting platform for the car market in Romania, which processes DGPCI registration data for new and used vehicles, highlights in the first ten months of this year, compared to the same period in 2023, an increase significant increase in used car registrations (+10.73%), which reached 282,352 units, representing 69% of the total car market in Romania. Within this margin, 65% of these vehicles are older than ten years.At the same time, new car registrations increased by 3.6% (125,400 units), and the segment of new electric vehicles registered a severe decline of 33.6%, compared to a more moderate decrease at European level, of only 4.9%.Against this background, the representatives of APIA propose to the future representatives of the authorities a series of measures to support the automotive industry and remedy the presented situation, namely: restoring the attractiveness of electric vehicles for consumers, by bringing the "Rabla" 2025 Program back on an efficient trajectory; the development of the public infrastructure for charging electric vehicles by establishing an Interministerial Commission to ensure the development of a coherent strategy for expanding the network of charging stations and speeding up the process; fair taxation policies by adjusting car taxes to support the decarbonisation of the sector, but without disproportionately penalizing certain consumer segments; consumer information and education campaigns to promote the benefits of adopting "green" means of transport and new technologies on health and safety in traffic.APIA is a non-profit organization, a representative entity in the automotive industry in Romania, founded in 1994, a member of the World Organization of Automobile Manufacturers - OICA, since 1996.  (Photo:https://www.facebook.com/apia.romania)