In 2025, new EU car registrations increased by 1.8% compared to the same period last year. However, overall volumes remain well below pre-pandemic levels.

The battery-electric car market share reached 17.4%, in line with projections for the year, yet still a level that leaves room for growth to stay on track with the transition. Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the most popular power type choice among buyers, with plug-in hybrids consolidating their position in the market.

New EU car registrations by power source

Battery-electric cars accounted for 17.4% of the EU market share in 2025, an increase from the low baseline of 13.6% one year earlier. Hybrid-electric car registrations captured 34.5% of the market, remaining the preferred choice among consumers in the EU. Meanwhile, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 35.5%, down from 45.2% in 2024.

Electric cars

In 2025, 1,880,370 new battery-electric cars were registered, capturing 17.4% of the EU market share. The four largest markets in the EU, which together account for 62% of battery-electric car registrations, saw growth: Germany (+43.2%), the Netherlands (+18.1%), Belgium (+12.6%), and France (+12.5%).

January to December 2025 figures also showed new EU hybrid-electric car registrations rising to 3,733,325 units, driven by growth in the four biggest markets: Spain (+23.1%), France (+21.6%), Germany (+8%), and Italy (+7.9%). Hybrid-electric models account for 34.5% of the total EU market.

Registrations of plug-in-hybrid electric cars continue to grow, reaching 1,015,887 units during the same period. This was driven by increases in volume for key markets such as Spain (+111.7%), Italy (+86.6%), and Germany (+62.3%). Therefore, plug-in-hybrid electric cars now represent 9.4% of EU car registrations, up from 7.2% last year.

The year-over-year (YOY) variation for December 2025 showed a surge of 51% for battery-electric and 36.7% for plug-in-hybrid electric cars, while hybrid-electric recorded a 5.8% increase.

Petrol and diesel cars

By the end of 2025, petrol car registrations dropped by 18.7%, with all major markets experiencing decreases. France experienced the steepest drop, with registrations plummeting by 32%, followed by Germany (-21.6%), Italy (-18.2%), and Spain (-16%).

With 2,880,298 new cars registered in 2025, the market share for petrol fell to 26.6% from 33.3% a year earlier. The diesel car market continued to decline, with registrations down by 24.2%, resulting in an 8.9% share in 2025. Moreover, the December 2025 YOY variation showed a 19.2% decline for petrol and 22.4% for diesel.

About ACEA

• The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) represents the 17 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Renault Group, Stellantis, Toyota Motor Europe, TRATON GROUP, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo Group.
• Visit www.acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on www.x.com/ACEA_auto or www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/.

Contact:

• Pedro Gomes Nogueira, Automotive Intelligence Manager, [email protected], +32 (0) 2 738 73 55
• Camille Lamarque, Media Relations Manager, [email protected], +32 (0) 2 738 73 16

About the EU automobile industry

• 13.6 million Europeans work in the automotive sector
• 8.1% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU
• €414.7 billion in tax revenue for European governments
• €93.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union
• Over 8% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry
• €84.6 billion in R&D spending annually, 34% of EU total