1 in 6 new cars registered in Europe is fully electric
More than one in six cars registered in Europe last year was fully electric, according to the annual figures of ACEA, the umbrella organisation of European carmakers. After Germany, France and the Netherlands, Belgium was the largest market for all-electric cars.
More than 10.8 million new cars were registered in Europe in 2025, with 17 per cent being fully electric. Hybrid vehicles make up a third of the market. Plug-in hybrids saw a significant rise in sales and account for one in 10 cars registered.
“The market share of fully electric cars needs to almost triple to allow manufacturers to meet the [CO2] targets without incurring penalties,” said ACEA director Sigrid de Vries. Europe needs to work on better conditions for electric cars, such as charging infrastructure, tax breaks and favourable energy prices, she said.
Petrol and diesel down
In Belgium, diesel car registrations fell by 42 per cent, but there were also 40 per cent fewer plug-in hybrids sold. Across the board, 7 per cent fewer new cars were registered in Belgium.
Petrol and diesel cars lost a large share of the market in many parts of Europe. While petrol still accounts for a quarter of the market, diesel’s share fell below 10 per cent. There was a particular fall in petrol cars in France (down 32 per cent) and Germany (21 per cent).
Chinese electric car maker BYD saw its EU sales rise by more than 200 per cent, making it by far the biggest grower on the European market.
An electric vehicle charges in Hannut, Liège, January 2026 © BELGA PHOTO BRUNO FAHY
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