Electric Cars Capture Record 19% of European Market as Combustion Engine Sales Plummet
While EV adoption soars across the continent, major markets like Spain and Italy lag significantly behind their northern neighbors.
Europe’s electric car sales set a new record in 2025, defying industry-wide instability marked by tariff disputes and rising prices. The surge in demand for battery-powered vehicles contributed to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions from automakers.
Out of nearly 11 million cars sold across the continent last year, more than 2 million were fully electric. This pushed the market share for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) to 19%, a substantial jump from 15% in 2024 and the largest year-over-year increase since 2021. The overall European car market grew by a modest 2.2%.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) also gained ground, climbing from a 7% to a 9% market share. Combined, plug-in vehicles now account for more than one out of every four new cars sold in Europe.
The shift is starkly contrasted by the decline of traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, whose market share fell from 47% to 37%. Meanwhile, self-charging hybrids, long a popular choice for European buyers, saw their share rise by three percentage points to 35%.
Spain Trails in Europe’s EV Transition
The pace of electric adoption, however, varies significantly across the continent. While Spain saw its electric car sales nearly double to 111,775 units in 2025 from 62,814 the previous year—a 78% increase—it remains behind its European peers.
Norway continues to lead, with electric cars dominating its market. In other nations like Denmark and the Netherlands, BEVs and PHEVs combined now represent more than half of all new car sales. Major markets like Germany and France reported combined plug-in shares of 30% and 27%, respectively.
Spain’s combined plug-in market share stands at 20%, with fully electric models accounting for less than 10% of sales. This places it in a slower-adopting group alongside Italy, where the combined share is just 12%, and Poland. In Spain, both plug-in and self-charging hybrids remain particularly strong sellers.
Some smaller markets are showing rapid EV penetration, according to an analysis of transportation data. Belgium reached a 34% plug-in share, while Portugal hit 23%, breaking into Europe’s top 10 for EV adoption.
