New registrations of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) in the European Union rose 23.9% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, reaching 412,997 units and overtaking diesel-powered cars for the first time, according to data published by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
The market share of BEVs now stands at 15.2% of all new passenger car registrations, up from 12% in Q1 2024. This comes despite an overall decline of 1.9% in the EU car market in the first three months of the year. The March data reflected only a marginal year-on-year decline of 0.2%, showing some stabilization after steeper drops of 2.6% in January and 3.4% in February.
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ACEA said, “The global economic context remains particularly challenging and unpredictable for automakers,” noting broader macroeconomic pressures on the industry.
Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands — which together represent more than 60% of the EU’s BEV registrations — all recorded growth. Germany led with a 38.9% increase, while Belgium rose by 29.9% and the Netherlands by 7.9%. France was the only major market to see a decline, with BEV registrations falling 6.6%.
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Other drivetrain types also posted gains. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) rose slightly by 1.1% to 207,048 units, with strong increases in Germany (+41.8%) and Spain (+30.7%) offsetting declines elsewhere. Hybrid electric vehicles continued to dominate the powertrain mix with a 20.7% increase and a 35.5% market share — surpassing petrol cars, which dropped to 28.7%. Diesel-powered cars, by contrast, registered just 258,728 units in Q1, down significantly from the prior year.
In March alone, 157,505 BEVs were registered across the EU — a 17.1% increase from March 2024. Germany remained the largest single market with 42,521 BEVs (+35.5%), followed by France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The Czech Republic recorded the highest percentage growth at 265.2%, while Romania experienced the sharpest decline, down 58.6%.
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The United Kingdom, now outside the EU, led Europe with 69,313 BEV registrations in March — a 43.2% increase. Including the UK and EFTA countries, a total of 242,913 electric vehicles were registered across Europe in March, up 23.6% year-on-year.
Among EV-only manufacturers, Tesla registered 36,167 vehicles in the EU during the quarter, down 45% from a year earlier. In March alone, Tesla’s deliveries fell by 36.0% to 18,224 units. Smart also saw a sharp decline, with registrations down 65.4% in Q1 and 76.8% in March.