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| - The European Union auto market, devastated by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, should rebound by 10 percent this year, an industry group survey showed Wednesday. EU car sales plunged by an unprecedented 23.7 percent last year as the pandemic forced governments into costly lockdowns but with the economy now steadying, the outlook is brighter. "After a year that saw the sharpest drop ever in EU car sales due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) forecasts that 2021 will mark a first step on the path to recovery, with sales rising by about 10 percent," the group said in a statement ACEA said the pandemic fallout will likely persist into the first quarter but "the car market should pick up in the second half of the year as vaccination programmes progress." New ACEA head Oliver Zipse, who is also boss of German luxury auto brand BMW, said European manufacturers had done well in recent months, picking up especially on demand growth in Asia. Now they needed to see a lasting recovery in Europe, Zipse said, adding that industry cooperation with the EU would be vital. ACEA noted that the market for electric vehicles grew sharply last year, accounting for 10.5 percent of all sales, up from 3.0 percent in 2019. "With the right policy support, including a massive ramp-up of charging and refuelling infrastructure for alternative fuels across all EU member states, this positive trend can continue," Zipse said. tsz/soe/bmm/wai
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