PARIS: French new car registrations rose 14.5% in December, capping a year of market growth, says the PFA auto association.

       Sales for the full year rose 16.1% to 1.77 million vehicles.

       Volkswagen AG, the third-biggest seller in France, reported a jump of 19.5% in its registrations in December. BMW AG’s sales rose 27.6%.

       The two biggest producers didn’t fare as well. Renault Group new registrations rose by 1.7% in December. Stellantis saw car sales drop 7.6% last month, pulled down by a sharp fall at its Citroen brand.

       Electric and rechargeable hybrid vehicles accounted for 30% of new car sales in December and represented 26% of registrations for the year as a whole, up from 22% in 2022, according to the PFA. — Bloomberg