Despite a marginal downturn in overall new car sales across Europe, the electric vehicle (EV) market demonstrated robust expansion in January 2025, according to recent data. While the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) reported a 2.6% decline in new car registrations across the European Union, certain segments, particularly electric vehicles, experienced significant growth.
Market Overview
Key European markets witnessed varied trends. France saw a 6.2% decrease in registrations, followed by Italy with a 5.8% drop, and Germany with a 2.8% decline. Spain, however, presented a contrasting picture, registering a 5.3% increase in new car registrations.
Rise of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles
Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) now comprise 15% of the market share, a notable increase from 10.9% in January 2024. Hybrid-electric vehicles also surged, capturing nearly 34.9% of the market, thereby reclaiming the top spot among EU car buyers. In contrast, the combined market share of petrol and diesel vehicles declined significantly, falling to 39.4% from 48.7% the previous year.
BEV sales specifically rose by 34% in January 2025, reaching 124,341 units and securing a 15% market share. Germany led the charge with a 53.5% increase, followed by Belgium at 37.2%, and the Netherlands at 28.2%. France, however, saw a slight decrease of 0.5%.
Hybrid-electric vehicle registrations also increased by 18.4% in January. Growth was observed across several key markets: France (+52.2%), Spain (+23.5%), Germany (+13.7%), and Italy (+10.6%). This translated to 290,014 units registered, accounting for 34.9% of the EU market.
Plug-in Hybrids and Traditional Fuels
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) registrations, however, experienced an 8.5% decrease, totaling 61,406 units in January 2025. This drop was significantly influenced by reductions in key markets like Belgium (-66.6%) and France (-54%), bringing the market share of PHEVs to 7.4%.
Petrol car registrations saw a substantial decline of 18.9%, with all major markets reporting drops. France experienced the most significant fall, with registrations plunging by 28.2%, followed by Germany (-23.7%), Italy (-17%), and Spain (-11.1%). The petrol car market now represents 29.4% of total registrations, down from 35.4% in January 2024.
Diesel vehicle registrations also fell by 27%, shrinking their share to just 10%. Most EU markets witnessed double-digit declines for both petrol and diesel cars.
