New car registrations: -0.6% in May 2025 year-to-date; battery-electric 15.4% market share – ACEA – European Automobile Manufacturers' Association

august 17, 2025

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In May 2025 year-to-date (YTD), new EU car registrations fell by 0.6% compared to the same period last year. Nonetheless, year-on-year (YOY) registrations for May increased by 1.6% compared to the same month last year.

The battery-electric car market share for May 2025 YTD stood at 15.4%, still far from where it needs to be. Hybrid-electric models continue to grow in popularity, retaining their place as the most popular power type amongst buyers.
Up until May 2025, battery-electric cars accounted for 15.4% of the total EU market share, an increase from the low baseline of 12.1% in May 2024 YTD. Hybrid-electric car registrations continue to surge, capturing 35.1% of the market, remaining the preferred choice among EU consumers. Meanwhile, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 38.1%, down from 48.5% over the same period in 2024.

In the first five months of 2025, new battery-electric car sales reached 701,089 units, capturing 15.4% of the total EU market share. Three of the four largest markets in the EU, accounting for 62% of all battery-electric car registrations saw gains: Germany (+43.2%), Belgium (+26.7%), and the Netherlands (+6.7%). This contrasted with France, which saw a decline of 7.1%.
May 2025’s YTD figures also showed new EU registrations of hybrid-electric cars rose to 1,601,090 units, driven by growth in the four biggest markets: France (+38.3%), Spain (+34.9%), Italy (+13.8%), and Germany (+12.1%). Hybrid-electric models now account for 35.1% of the total EU market share.
Registrations of plug-in-hybrid electric cars in May 2025 YTD reached 375,182 units. This was driven by increases in volume for key markets such as Germany (+52.8%) and Spain (+66.6%). As a result, plug-in-hybrid electric cars now represent 8.2% of total car registrations in the EU, up from 7.1% in May 2024 YTD.
Moreover, the YOY variation in May 2025 showed a rise of 25% for battery-electric and 16% for hybrid-electric cars, while plug-in-hybrid electric recorded its third consecutive month of strong growth with a 46.9% increase.
By the end of May 2025, petrol car registrations had declined by 20.2%, with all major markets experiencing decreases. France experienced the steepest drop, with registrations plummeting by 34.3%, followed by Germany (-26.1%), Italy (-15.4%), and Spain (-13.3%).
With 1,305,525 new cars registered so far, the market share for petrol dropped to 28.6%, down from 35.6%. Similarly, the diesel car market declined by 26.6%, resulting in a 9.5% share for diesel vehicles in May 2025 YTD. Additionally, the May 2025 YOY variation showed a decline of 18.6% for petrol and 27.6% for diesel.