Battery-electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for 15.6% of new car registrations in the European Union in the first half of 2025, up from 12.5% during the same period last year, according to figures published by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
A total of 869,271 EVs were newly registered from January to June, representing a 22% year-on-year increase. However, market developments varied widely across the bloc. Germany led with a 35.1% rise in EV registrations, despite the absence of subsidies for private buyers. Belgium (+19.5%) and the Netherlands (+6.1%) also saw growth, while France recorded a 6.4% decline. These divergences reflect differing national policies on incentives, taxation, and charging infrastructure availability.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) also posted growth, with registrations up 19.5% to 469,410 units. Market share rose to 8.4%, driven by significant gains in Germany (+55.1%) and Spain (+82.5%). Meanwhile, the overall EU car market declined by 1.9% to 5.58 million units. June saw a sharper monthly drop of 7.3%, amid persistent economic pressures and high interest rates.
Sales of conventional combustion engine vehicles continued to fall. Petrol registrations dropped by 21.2%, reducing their market share to 28.4%, while diesel registrations decreased 28.1% to just 9.4%. Combined, internal combustion engines accounted for 37.8% of the market, down from 48.2% a year earlier. In contrast, non-plug-in hybrid vehicles expanded their share to 34.8%, with 1.94 million units registered in H1.
Among EV-only manufacturers, Tesla’s EU registrations fell 43.7% to 70,655 units, coinciding with updates to the Model Y and broader public scrutiny of company leadership. Smart posted a 67.3% decline following the phase-out of its city car models. Chinese automaker SAIC, which sells EVs under the MG and Maxus brands, registered a 33.3% increase to 107,171 units. Other Chinese EV makers, including BYD and Xpeng, were not listed in the report.
While ACEA’s data points to continued electrification, the pace of adoption remains below levels needed to meet EU climate goals. Analysts suggest further policy action and investment in charging infrastructure will be necessary to support the sector’s growth.