Electric Vehicles Capture 15.4% Market Share in Europe by 2025

European automotive market continues its transition towards electrification, albeit not without setbacks. By May 2025, new car registrations in the European Union fell by 0.6% compared to the same period last year. However, year-on-year data for May shows a recovery level, with a 1.6% increase compared to May 2024.

Among the various types of engines, electric vehicles are gaining prominence. Their market share reached 15.4% by May, compared to 12.1% in the same period of 2024. Although the growth is positive, it is still considered insufficient to meet the bloc's climate targets.

The most popular engines remain conventional hybrids. With 1,601,090 units sold by May, they already represent 35.1% of the community market, driven by significant increases in the four main markets: France (+38.3%), Spain (+34.9%), Italy (+13.8%), and Germany (+12.1%).

Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids (PHEV) also show an upward trend. So far this year, they have accumulated 375,182 units, representing an 8.2% market share, compared to 7.1% the previous year. This segment has recorded a notable year-on-year growth in May of 46.9%, marking its third consecutive month of strong expansion.

Electric car sales totalled 701,089 units by May. Germany leads the charge with a growth of 43.2%, followed by Belgium (+26.7%) and the Netherlands (+6.7%). In contrast, France experienced a decline of 7.1% in this segment, reflecting national differences in the adoption of zero-emission vehicles.

On the other hand, the decline of combustion engines is becoming more pronounced. Petrol registrations fell by 20.2% by May, with widespread declines in major markets: France (-34.3%), Germany (-26.1%), Italy (-15.4%), and Spain (-13.3%). The market share of petrol cars has fallen to 28.6%, from 35.6% the previous year.

As for diesel, the decline was even more pronounced: 26.6% less so far this year, placing its share at just 9.5% of the market. Year-on-year figures for May confirm this downward trend, with decreases of 18.6% for petrol and 27.6% for diesel.

The EU automotive market faces a moment of critical transformation. While hybrid and electric models are advancing strongly, the decline of traditional vehicles reflects a structural change in consumer habits and the bloc's environmental regulation.

However, the growth rate of pure electric vehicles remains insufficient to meet the climate targets set for the end of the decade. The pressure now falls on manufacturers, governments, and consumers to accelerate this transition.