Hybrid-powered vehicles continue to grow in popularity among European consumers while April’s new-car registrations show overall demand has fallen 1.2% this year.
However, data compiled by the European Automobile Manufacturers Assn. (ACEA) reveals that registrations have rebounded 1.3% year-on-year despite ongoing unpredictable global economic conditions.
Meanwhile, registrations of battery-electric vehicles remain well below industry and, more importantly, government regulator expectations, forming just 15.3% of the expanded European Union market share.
That said, registrations of new BEVs in the first four months of 2025 grew 26.4%, to 558,262 units. Three of the four largest markets in the EU, accounting for 63% of all BEV registrations, recorded robust gains: Germany, up 42.8%; Belgium, up 31.3%; and the Netherlands, up 6.4%. This contrasts with France, which saw a drop of 4.4% despite a recovery seen in April.
Hybrid-electric vehicles surged, capturing 35.3% of the market and remaining the preferred choice among EU consumers.
Year-to-date figures also showed new EU registrations of hybrid-electric cars rising 20.8%, driven by significant growth in the four biggest markets: France, up 44.9%; Spain, up 35.8%; Italy, up 15%; and Germany, up 11%. This resulted in 1,285,486 units registered in the first four months of 2025.
Registrations of plug-in hybrid-electric cars also grew 7.8% in April 2025 YTD, to a total of 287,850 units and particularly noticeably in Germany, up 46.6%, while Spain was up 42.8%.
As a result, PHEVs now represent 7.9% of total car registrations in the EU, up from 7.2% in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the combined market share of combustion gasoline and diesel cars fell again to 38.2%, down from 48.4% over the same period in 2024.
France experienced the steepest drop, with registrations plummeting 35.2%, followed by Germany, down 26.6%; Italy, down 14.4%; and Spain down 12.7%.
With 1,041,176 new cars registered so far, the market share for gasoline cars dropped to 28.6%, down from 35.6% during the first four months of 2024.
Similarly, the diesel car market declined 26.4%, resulting in a 9.6% market share for diesel vehicles in April 2025 YTD. Overall, double-digit declines were observed in most EU markets.
