New EU car registrations in 2025 increased by 1.8% year over year, according to the latest industry data. Despite this modest growth, overall volumes remain well below pre-pandemic levels, highlighting the ongoing structural shift in the European automotive market.
The key trend remains electrification. Electric car sales in the EU continued to grow in 2025, with battery-electric and hybrid vehicles steadily replacing petrol and diesel models across major markets.
Battery-Electric Vehicles Reach 17.4% Market Share in the EU
Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 17.4% of total EU car registrations in 2025, up from 13.6% in 2024. This growth aligns with full-year projections, though further expansion is still needed to meet long-term emissions and transition targets.
A total of 1,880,370 battery-electric cars were registered across the EU during the year. Growth was concentrated in the bloc’s four largest EV markets—Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France—which together represent 62% of all BEV registrations:
– Germany: +43.2%
– Netherlands: +18.1%
– Belgium: +12.6%
– France: +12.5%
December 2025 alone saw battery-electric registrations surge by 51% year over year, underlining the accelerating shift toward fully electric vehicles.
Hybrid Vehicles Remain the Most Popular Choice in Europe
Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) continued to dominate the EU car market in 2025, capturing 34.5% of all new registrations.
From January to December, 3,733,325 hybrid vehicles were registered across the EU. Growth was driven by strong demand in major markets:
– Spain: +23.1%
– France: +21.6%
– Germany: +8%
– Italy: +7.9%
Hybrid models remain the preferred option for many European buyers, offering lower emissions without the charging limitations associated with fully electric cars.
Plug-in Hybrid Sales Expand Rapidly in Key EU Markets
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) continued to gain traction in 2025. Registrations reached 1,015,887 units, giving PHEVs a 9.4% EU market share, up from 7.2% in 2024.
The strongest growth came from:
– Spain: +111.7%
– Italy: +86.6%
– Germany: +62.3%
In December 2025, plug-in hybrid registrations rose by 36.7% year over year, confirming renewed interest in the segment.
Petrol and Diesel Car Sales Fall Sharply in 2025
While electrified vehicles gained ground, petrol and diesel car sales in the EU continued to decline.
By the end of 2025:
– Petrol registrations fell by 18.7%
– Diesel registrations dropped by 24.2%
All major EU markets recorded declines in petrol sales:
– France: -32%
– Germany: -21.6%
– Italy: -18.2%
– Spain: -16%
With 2,880,298 petrol cars registered, petrol’s market share fell to 26.6%, down from 33.3% in 2024. Diesel vehicles now account for just 8.9% of the EU car market.
December 2025 figures reinforced the trend, with petrol down 19.2% and diesel down 22.4% year over year.
EU Car Market Outlook: Electrification Accelerates
The EU car market in 2025 clearly shows accelerating momentum toward electrification. While overall vehicle registrations remain subdued, battery-electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles now dominate new car sales, while petrol and diesel continue their steady retreat.
As regulatory pressure increases and charging infrastructure improves, the balance is expected to tilt even further toward electric vehicles in the coming years.
[source: ACEA]
