German industrial output up in October on high car sales

Stepping on the gas: A customer inspects BMW 3 Series automobiles in the BMW Welt showroom, operated by Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, in Munich. In the car industry, Germany’s biggest industrial sector, production rose by nearly 10% in October but was still roughly 6% below pre-pandemic levels. — Bloomberg

BERLIN: Booming car sales drove a stronger-than-expected jump in German industrial output in October, in a further sign that the export-oriented manufacturing sector helped Europe’s largest economy to get off to a solid start in the fourth quarter.

The German government has unleashed an unprecedented array of rescue and stimulus measures to help companies and consumers get through the Covid-19 pandemic as unscathed as possible, including incentives to buy electric and hybrid cars.