New EU car registrations fall in January 2025

In January 2025, new EU car registrations declined by -2.6%, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). Notably, the bloc’s major markets saw declines, with France (-6.2%), Italy (-5.8%), and Germany (-2.8%). Spain conversely recorded a 5.3% increase.

In January, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) made up 15% of the market share, up from the low baseline of comparison of 10.9% in January 2024. Hybrid-electric vehicles surged ahead, commanding nearly 34.9% of the market and becoming again the first most preferred choice among EU car buyers.

Meanwhile, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 39.4% in January 2025, down from 48.7% one year ago.

Electric cars

In January 2025, new battery-electric car sales grew by 34% to 124,341 units, capturing a 15% market share. Three of the four largest markets in the region, together accounting for 64% of all battery-electric car registrations, recorded robust double-digit gains: Germany (+53.5%), Belgium (+37.2%), and the Netherlands (+28.2%), while France saw a slight decline of -0.5%.

In January, new EU registrations of hybrid-electric cars increased by 18.4%, boosted by significant growth in the four biggest markets: France (+52.2%), Spain (+23.5%), Germany (+13.7%), and Italy (+10.6%). This led to 290,014 units registered in the first month of 2025, representing 34.9% of the EU market share.

Registrations of plug-in hybrid electric cars declined in January 2025, dropping by 8.5% to 61,406 units. This decrease was primarily driven by significant reductions in key markets such as Belgium (-66.6%) and France (-54%). As a result, plug-in hybrid electric cars now represent 7.4% of total car sales in the EU.

Petrol and diesel cars

In January 2025, petrol car registrations saw a significant decline of 18.9%, with all major markets showing decreases. France experienced the steepest drop, with registrations plummeting by 28.2%, followed by Germany (-23.7%), Italy (-17%), and Spain (-11.1%). With 244,763 new cars registered last month, the market share for petrol dropped to 29.4%, down from 35.4% in the same month last year.

Similarly, the diesel car market declined by 27%, resulting in a 10% market share for diesel vehicles last January. Overall, double-digit declines were observed in most EU markets.