Europe new-car sales rise 1% in first gain of 2020

Automakers eked out a surprise sales increase last month in Europe, the first advance this year for a region still struggling with a patchy recovery reliant on government subsidies.

New-car registrations rose 1.1 percent to 1.3 million vehicles in the European Union, Britain and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries in September, industry association ACEA said Friday.

Sales increases in Italy and Germany -- two of the major countries offering incentives to support electric vehicle purchases -- offset still-slumping demand in Spain and France.