EU Electric Car Sales Rise 26% in Early 2025, Surpassing Diesel Market Share

New registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the European Union rose 26% year-on-year in the first four months of 2025, reaching 558,262 units, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). This lifted BEVs to a 15.3% share of the total new car market—surpassing diesel-powered vehicles for the first time in a comparable period.

In April alone, BEV registrations in the EU surged 34.1% to 145,341 units. Germany led the bloc with 45,535 new BEVs (+53.5%), followed by France (25,542, +2.8%), Belgium (12,469, +35.8%) and Denmark (9,567, +45.5%). The Czech Republic and Italy posted the fastest growth rates, with BEV sales more than doubling. By contrast, Romania saw a steep drop of 70.1%. The UK and Norway, outside the EU, also recorded five-digit BEV registrations in April.

Overall, the EU car market grew 1.3% in April, suggesting signs of stabilization after negative growth in the first quarter. Electrified vehicles were a key driver of this modest recovery. Plug-in hybrids rose 7.8% to nearly 288,000 units, while hybrid electric vehicles grew 20.8%, capturing a 35.3% market share—more than any other drivetrain category. Petrol-only cars held 28.6%, while the combined market share of petrol and diesel vehicles dropped to 38.2% from 48.4% a year earlier.

Tesla, however, saw a significant year-on-year decline in the EU, with registrations falling 46% to 41,677 units between January and April. April alone saw a drop of 53% to 5,475 units, despite the arrival of the revised Model Y.

Including the UK and EFTA countries, Tesla’s decline was slightly less severe at 39%. Smart also posted a sharp decline of 67.6% in the first four months, with only 644 new cars registered in April.