European Car Sales Rise as Demand for Plug-In Hybrids Soars

Europe’s car market picked up slightly in May, as robust demand for electric and hybrid vehicles helped offset the drag from a patchy economy hit by global trade tensions.

New-car registrations rose 1.9% last month from a year earlier to 1.11 million units, according to European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association data on Wednesday. Gains in major markets such as Germany, the UK and Spain lifted the overall numbers, even as France weighed on the total.