Stellantis Underperforms European Auto Market in May
Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) experienced a slowdown in European vehicle sales during May, ending a period of stronger growth and trailing the broader market’s performance.
In the European Union, vehicle registrations fell 2.6% year-on-year to 146,381 units, while the group’s market share declined to 15.3% from 16.2% a year earlier.
The weaker performance contrasted with overall growth in the European automotive market, which continued to expand during the month.
Market Share Eases Across Wider Europe
Across the broader European region, including the EU, EFTA countries and the United Kingdom, Stellantis registrations decreased 2.3% compared with May 2025.
Market share slipped to 14.3% from 15.2% in the same period last year.
Despite the decline, Stellantis maintained its position as Europe’s second-largest automotive group, behind Volkswagen, which held a 26.1% market share, and ahead of Renault with 9.6%.
Year-to-Date Performance Remains Positive
Although May proved challenging, Stellantis continued to post growth over the first five months of 2026.
The company registered 905,444 vehicles across Europe during the period, representing a 5.5% increase from a year earlier.
Its regional market share edged up to 15.5% from 15.4%.
Within the European Union, registrations rose 5.7% year-on-year to 794,708 vehicles, lifting market share to 16.7% from 16.5%.
Several Core Brands Record Declines
A number of Stellantis brands reported lower sales during May.
Peugeot registrations fell 12.6% to 50,277 units, while Opel/Vauxhall declined 6.3% to 36,291 vehicles.
Jeep deliveries dropped 11.1% to 10,324 units, Alfa Romeo fell 23.9% to 3,759 units and DS registrations declined 31.4% to 1,883 vehicles.
Lancia proved relatively resilient, with registrations slipping just 0.9% compared with the previous year.
Leapmotor Continues Rapid Expansion
One of the strongest performers within Stellantis’ portfolio was Chinese electric vehicle brand Leapmotor (USOTC:ZJLMF), which is distributed in Europe through the group.
Across the EU, EFTA and UK markets, Leapmotor registrations surged 465.1% year-on-year in May to 9,945 units.
For the first five months of 2026, registrations climbed 552.9% to 43,037 vehicles.
Within the European Union alone, May registrations increased 447.3% to 8,856 units, while year-to-date volumes rose 530.8% to 37,694 vehicles.
European Auto Market Continues to Expand
The broader European automotive market remained resilient during May.
New vehicle registrations in the European Union increased 3.2% year-on-year to 955,013 units.
Including EFTA countries and the UK, total sales rose 3.6%.
Since the beginning of the year, registrations across Europe have grown 4%, exceeding 4.7 million vehicles, while Western European sales have increased 4.5% to more than 5.8 million units.
Mixed Performance Across Major Markets
Among the region’s largest automotive markets, Italy delivered the strongest monthly growth, with registrations increasing 7.5%.
France posted a 3.7% rise, while Germany remained broadly unchanged with growth of 0.1%.
Spain, which had recorded strong gains in previous months, saw registrations decline 0.8%.
Electric Vehicles Continue to Gain Ground
The European market continued its transition toward electrified vehicles.
Fully electric vehicle registrations in the EU increased 42.9% year-on-year, reaching approximately 203,000 units.
Plug-in hybrid sales rose 12.2%, while hybrid electric vehicles recorded growth of 9.7%.
By contrast, traditional combustion-engine vehicles continued to lose ground, with petrol car registrations falling 20.1% and diesel vehicles declining 19%.
Tesla and BYD Deliver Strong Growth
Competition within the electric vehicle market remained intense.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) reported a 152.4% increase in European registrations to 21,767 vehicles, lifting its market share to 2.3%.
Chinese manufacturer BYD (USOTC:BYDDY) also continued its rapid expansion, with registrations rising 158.8% to 26,017 units and market share increasing to 2.7%.
The strong performance of both companies highlights the growing influence of electric vehicle manufacturers as European consumers increasingly shift toward electrified mobility solutions.