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Meanwhile, BEVs have recorded year-on-year increases but still remain below regulator targets, said the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Assn.
European Union car sales increased for a fourth consecutive month in October but remained well below the volumes sold pre-pandemic, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Assn (ACEA).
The organization’s latest data reveals a 5.8% increase for the month compared to 2024, with sales totaling 916,609 units compared to the same month in 2019 which recorded sales of nearly 1.2 million units.
For the 10 months ending October 31, the automakers’ representative body said sales were up just 1.4% year over year at roughly 9 million units while also falling short of the nearly 12 million units for the same period in 2019.
Hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) sales remain the single powertrain market leader, with YTD October new car registrations rising to 3,109,362 units.
This was driven by growth in the four biggest markets: Spain, up 27.1%; France, up 26.3%; Germany, up 10.3%; and Italy, up 8.9%. HEV models accounted for 34.6% of the total EU market.
Registrations of plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEV) continue to grow, reaching 819,201 units during October. This was driven by increases in volume for key markets including Spain, up 109.6%; Italy, up 76.5%; and Germany, up 63.4%. As a result, PHEVs represented 9.1% of EU car registrations, up from 7% last year.
The ACEA reported that battery-electric vehicle (BEV) market share reached 16.4% YTD, “yet it is still below the pace needed at this stage of the transition,” its website statement said referring to the EU’s planned phaseout of ICE vehicles by 2035 currently under review.
In the first 10 months of 2025, nearly 1.5 million new BEVs were registered with the biggest rises in Germany, up 39.4%; Belgium, up 10.6%; the Netherlands, up 6.6%; and France, up 5.3%.
By the end of October 2025, gasoline car registrations declined by 18.3% to just under 2.5 million units compared to the same period last year.
France experienced the steepest drop, with registrations plummeting by 32.3%, followed by Germany, down 22.5%; Italy, down 16.9%; and Spain, down 13.7%.
Similarly, the diesel car market declined by 24.5%, resulting in a 9.2% share for October 2025 YTD. Overall internal combustion engine vehicles now make up 36.6% of the EU new car market.
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J.D. Power finds wait times, as well as poor EV service, drag down scores. Regulators cite billions lost to hidden fees, while regional enforcement highlights problems from Florida to Ohio.
The automaker has issued 109 recalls since the start of the year, extending to over 7.8 million vehicles.
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J.D. Power finds wait times, as well as poor EV service, drag down scores. Regulators cite billions lost to hidden fees, while regional enforcement highlights problems from Florida to Ohio.
The automaker has issued 109 recalls since the start of the year, extending to over 7.8 million vehicles.
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