The rise bucked the general trend in the auto market where manufacturers have seen production and sales held back by an enduring shortage of semiconductors, a key component in both conventional and electric vehicles. Volkswagen managed to retain the top spot among carmakers in Europe in 2021, but a 4.8-percent drop in sales to 1.4 million vehicles caused its market share to dip to 25.1 percent, according to industry figures published last week. The German group -- whose 12 brands include Audi, Porsche and Skoda -- is pumping 35 billion euros ($40 billion) into the shift to electric vehicles and aims to become the world's largest electric carmaker by 2025. Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2022