Europe’s transition towards electric mobility is moving forward, but at a pace still insufficient to meet the European Union’s climate and regulatory targets. According to data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), between January and July 2025 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for only 15.6% of new car registrations, up from 12.5% in the same period of 2024, but still far below the level required at this stage of the transition.

In total, 1,011,903 new BEVs were registered in the first seven months of the year, with particularly strong growth in Germany (+38.4%), Belgium (+17.6%) and the Netherlands (+6.5%). France, by contrast, saw a decline of 4.3%, although July alone showed a year-on-year increase of 14.8%.

Meanwhile, hybrid-electric cars continue to dominate consumer preferences across the EU, reaching a 34.7% market share with more than 2.2 million units registered, driven by France (+30.5%), Spain (+30.2%), Germany (+10.7%) and Italy (+9.4%).

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) also recorded notable growth, accounting for 8.6% of the market compared with 6.9% in 2024, boosted particularly by Spain (+94.5%) and Germany (+59.2%).

Petrol and diesel losing ground in Europe

By contrast, petrol and diesel cars continue to decline: their combined share fell to 37.7%, down from 47.9% a year earlier. Petrol car demand dropped by 20.1%, while diesel registrations contracted by 26.4%, leaving them with just a 9.5% market share.

Overall, the EU car market posted a slight decline of 0.7% in cumulative registrations up to July, although July itself showed a 7.4% year-on-year increase.

The figures confirm that while electric vehicles are gaining ground, the current pace of growth remains insufficient to secure transport decarbonisation within the deadlines set by Brussels.