The EU passenger car market registered an accelerated decline in January, with new car registrations falling by 24% year-on-year to 726,491 units, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). Due to a combination of factors, such as Covid-19 restrictions dampening sales across the EU and fewer business days, January suffered the lowest total of new car registrations on record. Of the four major European markets, Spain suffered the most severe decline at 51.5%. The German market was hit with a 31.1% loss followed by Italy and France with a 14% and 5.8% decrease, respectively. Conversely, Sweden boasted a 22.5% increase. Discrepancies between the individual European markets are particularly stark when assessing regional progress towards electrification. While Norway and the Netherlands have adequate electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, other markets have fallen behind.