Volkswagen Group sales top 5 million in H1 2015 but slowing China sales hurt

Vehicle sales by the Volkswagen Group in the first half of 2015 topped the five million mark but its growth rate has seen a decline, mainly because of the slowdown in China which is the Group’s largest single market.

Chiefly as a result of the downturn in Volkswagen brand deliveries in China, the Group sold 1.94 (2.00; -3.0 percent) million vehicles in the Asia-Pacific region in the first half of the year, of which 1.74 (1.81; -3.9 percent) million units were delivered in China.

In total, 5.04 (January-June 2014: 5.07; -0.5 percent) million vehicles were sold from January to June. With deliveries running at 840,400 (June 2014: 877,900; -4.3 percent) units, the situation in June was tense. “Overall, Volkswagen Group brands recorded satisfactory development in the first half of the year in what has in some cases been a difficult market environment. Developments in South America and Russia remain tense, as do conditions in China, where growth on the overall market has been shrinking steadily since the beginning of this year and became negative in June for the first time in several years. As the market leader, the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand in particular was not immune to these changes currently affecting the market,” Group Board member for sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on July 17.

Group brands grew deliveries on the overall European market, in the first half of the year, handing over a total of 2.11 (2.04; +3.7 percent) million vehicles to customers. 1.14 (1.07) million customers took possession of a new vehicle in Western Europe (excluding Germany), an increase of 6.9 percent. 668,300 (626,100;+6.7 percent) vehicles were handed over on the home market of Germany. The Group delivered 304,000 (343,900; -11.6 percent) vehicles in Central and Eastern Europe, of which 84,300 (142,600; -40.9 percent) units were sold in Russia.

Deliveries in the North America region from January to June rose by 6.0 percent to 451,200 (425,900) units, of which 295,000 (288,000; +2.4 percent) were sold in the United States. In the South America region, 297,300 (383,700; -22.5 percent) units were sold, of which 211,800 (301,000; -29.6 percent) were handed over to customers in Brazil.

Chiefly as a result of the downturn in Volkswagen brand deliveries in China, the Group handed over 1.94 (2.00; -3.0 percent) million vehicles to customers in the Asia-Pacific region in the first half of the year, of which 1.74 (1.81; -3.9 percent) million units were delivered in China, the Group’s largest single market.

GROUP SALES BRAND-WISE
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand sold 2.95 (3.07; -3.9 percent) million vehicles worldwide in the first half of 2015.

Audi sold 902,400 (869,400) cars worldwide from January to June, an increase of 3.8 percent.

Porsche sold 114,000 (87,800) vehicles in the period to June, an increase of 29.8 percent compared with the previous year.

Škoda delivered 544,300 (522,500) vehicles from January to June, a rise of 4.2 percent.

Spanish carmaker SEAT handed over 216,500 (200,100; +8.2 percent) vehicles to customers worldwide in the first half year.

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles delivered 223,000 (217,700; +2.4 percent) vehicles during the same period.

The MAN truck brand delivered 49,900 (57,600; -13.5 percent) units from January to June.

Swedish brand Scania delivered 37,000 (38,400; -3.7 percent) heavy trucks and buses to customers in the period to June.