VW sales decline for second straight month

Volkswagen sold 516,900 vehicles in October, making a 6.2 percent fall from October 2017. It was the second straight month of falling sales and comes at a time when economists are wondering if the end of the economic boom is approaching. VW, the parent company of Škoda Auto, blamed the decline on its sales in China, which have been hit by the ongoing trade war with the United States. But stricter environmental controls now being carried out on new cars also contributed to a 7.1 percent fall in sales in Europe. Sales of Audis, another VW brand, fell 26 percent. The decline comes at the same time as the company is considering refitting two of its plants in Germany for the production of electric cars. The European market is crucial for the enormous automobile industry in the Czech Republic.