The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) announced this Wednesday that the registration of new cars in the European Union (EU) increased by 1.6% in April, with 926,582 vehicles sold compared to the same month in 2024.
In a statement, ACEA revealed that despite the growth recorded in May, the total sales of light passenger vehicles fell by 0.6% in the first five months of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
According to the data now revealed, in the first five months of 2025, sales of 100% electric cars reached 701,089 units, capturing 15.4% of the total market share in the EU. Three of the four largest markets in the EU accounted for 62% of all registrations of 100% electric vehicles, with Germany recording a growth of 43.2%, Belgium 26.7%, and the Netherlands 6.7%, numbers that contrast with those recorded in France where there was a decline of 7.1%.
In terms of hybrid vehicles, ACEA’s data reveals that new registrations rose to 1,601,090 units, driven by growth in the four largest markets: France (+38.3%), Spain (+34.9%), Italy (+13.8%), and Germany (+12.1%). Thus, hybrid vehicles represent 35.1% of the total market share in the EU.
Meanwhile, plug-in hybrid cars recorded 375,182 units in May, benefiting from sales growth in Germany (+52.8%) and Spain (+66.6%). As a result, plug-in hybrid vehicles now represent 8.2% of the total vehicle registrations in the EU, which is an increase of 7.1% recorded in May 2024.
In addition, the annual variation in May 2025 showed an increase of 25% for 100% electric vehicles, 16% for hybrids, and 46.9% for plug-in hybrids, representing the third consecutive month of strong growth.
Meanwhile, sales of gasoline cars registered a decline of 20.2%, with all major markets experiencing a downturn. France recorded the largest drop at 34.3%, followed by Germany (-26.1%), Italy (-15.4%), and Spain (-13.3%).
With 1,305,525 new vehicles registered in the first five months of the year, the market share of gasoline models fell from 35.6% to 28.6%.
Similarly, the diesel vehicle market declined by 26.6%, resulting in a market share of 9.5% for the year to date.
Furthermore, the annual variation in May 2025 showed a decrease of 18.6% for gasoline and 27.6% for diesel models.
