Core Viewpoint - European car sales declined in April due to economic slowdown and global trade tensions, leading consumers to postpone large purchases [1] Group 1: Sales Data - New vehicle registrations in Europe fell by 0.3% year-over-year, totaling 1.08 million units in April [1] - Major markets such as Germany, France, and the UK experienced a decrease in new car registrations [1] - Volkswagen Group led with 296,869 registrations, showing a slight increase of 0.1% [6] - Stellantis reported 165,826 registrations, down by 0.5% [6] - Renault's registrations were 110,513, up by 1.1% [6] - BMW Group saw a 7.5% increase with 80,629 registrations [6] - Mercedes-Benz Group had 53,747 registrations, down by 1.7% [6] Group 2: Electric Vehicle Market - Electric vehicle deliveries increased by 28% in April, but their market share remains below analyst expectations at 17% [4] - BloombergNEF predicts that electric vehicles will account for over 30% of car sales by 2025 [4] - Plug-in hybrid vehicles performed well, with sales rising by 31% to nearly 100,000 units in April [6] Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Local demand weakness is compounded by U.S. tariffs and fierce competition in China, the largest electric vehicle market [4] - Tesla's sales in Europe nearly halved to 7,261 units in April, indicating a decline in market share [4] - BYD surpassed Tesla in electric vehicle sales in Europe for the first time [4]