European car sales experienced a significant decline in February, as major markets such as Germany, Italy, and France saw reduced demand, affecting the overall numbers of newly registered cars in the EU. However, electric vehicles (EVs) are continuing to grow in market share, with a notable rise in Chinese-made cars.
The first two months of the year have been challenging for new car registrations, particularly in Germany, Italy, and France, which has negatively impacted sales across the continent. According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), new car registrations fell by 3.4% in February and 3% for the first two months of 2025 compared to the same period last year.
In February, Italy saw a 6% decrease in sales, Germany dropped by 4.6%, and France saw a 3.3% fall. However, Spain bucked the trend, posting an 8.4% increase in sales.
Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are showing strong growth, with 15.4% of new cars sold in February being electric. Over the first two months of 2025, BEVs captured 15.2% of the market, up from 11.5% during the same period in 2024. New sales of electric vehicles grew by 28.4% in the first two months of this year, representing more than one-seventh of the EU market.
Of the four largest EV markets in the EU, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands all reported double-digit growth in BEV sales, with Germany seeing an impressive 41% increase, Belgium up by 38%, and the Netherlands by 25%. France, however, experienced a slight decline of 1.3%.
Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) remain the most popular among EU consumers, making up 35.6% of the market in February. Hybrid sales rose by 18.7% in the first two months of 2025 compared to the previous year, with strong growth in France, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
In contrast, the combined market share for petrol and diesel cars continued to shrink, dropping to 38% in February from 48.4% in the same period last year. In the first two months of 2025, petrol car registrations plummeted by 20.5%, with all major markets showing declines. France saw the steepest drop at 27.5%, followed by Germany (-24.9%), Italy (-19%), and Spain (-13%), according to ACEA.
