The electric vehicle (EV) market in Europe showed signs of slower growth in 2024, with sales of new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) declining slightly. According to the latest statistics from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), a total of 1,447,934 new BEVs were registered in the EU in 2024, a 5.9% decrease from the previous year.
Despite the decline, the number of new electric cars surpassed the number of new diesel cars, continuing a trend from 2023. In addition to BEVs, the ACEA recorded 758,944 new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the EU, marking a 6.8% drop compared to 2023.
See also: Global EV Sales Surge 25% in 2024, Regional Trends Highlight Divergences
However, the outlook improves when including the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries and the United Kingdom. Norway and the UK reported solid growth in BEV registrations, with Norway increasing by 9.4% and the UK by 21.4%.
This contributed to a smaller overall decline in BEV registrations, bringing the total number of new electric vehicles across the EU, EFTA, and the UK to 1.99 million, just a 1.3% drop from 2023.
See also: UK Surpasses Germany as Europe’s Largest Market for Pure Electric Cars in 2024
“Although BEV sales in the EU saw a slight dip in 2024, the overall growth in Norway and the UK demonstrates the continued strength of the electric vehicle market in certain regions,” said ACEA.
In individual countries, the UK outpaced Germany in BEV sales, with 381,907 new BEVs, surpassing Germany’s 380,609 units despite a 27.4% decline from the previous year.
France also saw a slight decrease in new BEV registrations, down 2.6% to 290,614 vehicles. On the other hand, countries like Belgium and the Netherlands posted notable gains, with Belgium’s BEV registrations rising by 36.9% to 127,703 vehicles, while the Netherlands saw a 16% increase to 132,166 units.
See also: Swedish Electric Car Market Sees Decline in 2024, but EVs Remain the Top Choice
Across all types of car sales in the EU, the overall market grew by 0.8% to 10.6 million new vehicles in 2024. BEVs made up 13.6% of the market share, trailing behind petrol-only cars (33.3%) and hybrids (30.9%).
The ACEA’s report also highlighted a continuing shift from diesel vehicles, which saw a decline of 11.4% in new registrations to 1.27 million vehicles in the EU, further emphasizing the growing preference for electric and hybrid cars in the region.