German carmakers reported a big increase in new registrations in April, official data on the vital sector showed Thursday, although buyers continued to shun diesel-fuelled vehicles after years of emissions scandals. Some 314,055 brand-new cars hit the road last month, a reading up 8.0 percent year-on-year, the KBA transport authority said.
Of those, some 33.4 percent were powered by diesel - a slightly higher proportion than seen in March, but still 12.5 percent below last year's figure. Sales of cars sporting diesel motors - which German manufacturers focused on as a way of reducing emissions of greenhouse gas carbon dioxide - slumped in the wake of the "dieselgate" scandal.
Volkswagen, the world's largest carmaker, admitted in 2015 to manipulating 11 million cars worldwide to appear less polluting during regulators' tests than in real on-road driving, and suspicion has fallen on other producers.