New-vehicle sales in Europe fell more than 3% to close the year after 16 straight months of growth, though they were up about 14% for the year.

More than 867,000 units were registered on the continent in December, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, which attributed the decline to the high number seen a year earlier as the industry had started to pull out of pandemic conditions.

As inventories were replenished throughout last year, sales benefited, closing at 10.5 million units, with every submarket but Hungary growing, most by double digits, the association said.

About a 17% drop in battery-electric vehicle sales, the first decline in the segment since April 2020, contributed to the December industry blip. The association attributed the EV decline to brisk electric sales a year earlier, in addition to a steep 48% drop in Germany, Europe’s biggest EV market. Still, electrified vehicle sales were up 37% for the year to more than 1.5 million units and about 15% overall market share, the third biggest market share behind gas-powered and hybrid models, at Nos. 1 and 2.

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