European electric car registrations surge over 38 per cent
Across all powertrains, the ACEA statistics report 916,609 new registrations in EU countries, with 173,173 new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounting for an 18.9 per cent market share. Considering all of Europe (including EFTA countries and the United Kingdom), 225,399 new electric cars (+32.9%) were registered in October, representing a 20.6 per cent market share.
However, electric car registrations are not evenly distributed across the EU: 65 per cent of battery-electric registrations are concentrated in the four largest markets, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. Germany leads with 52,425 new electric cars, making it the largest single market ahead of France (34,108 new BEVs) and the UK, which recorded 36,830 new electric cars when considering all of Europe, not just the EU.
Overall, only a few markets recorded declines compared to October 2023, primarily smaller markets with registrations in the double or triple digits. Estonia, for example, saw just 77 new electric cars, a 35.3 per cent drop from the 119 registered in October 2023. Malta experienced a 34 per cent decline (150 instead of 227 BEVs), and Greece registered 799 new electric cars, 13 per cent fewer than the previous year. Markets like Sweden (8,707 registrations, -0.8%) and Belgium (12,360 registrations, -3.0%) saw only slight declines compared to the previous year.
Strong growth in Eastern Europe
Overall, most markets show positive growth, with Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia standing out with triple-digit growth rates: Poland registered 4,812 new electric cars, a 319.9 per cent increase; Slovenia saw a 208.1 per cent rise (to 687 vehicles); and Slovakia experienced 125.1 per cent growth (to 403 vehicles). Other Eastern European countries, such as Bulgaria (+84.6%), Romania (+80.4%), and Croatia (+69.6%), also recorded above-average growth.
Looking at year-to-date development: In the first ten months of 2025, 1,473,447 new battery-electric cars were registered, accounting for a 16.4 per cent market share out of nearly nine million total registrations across all powertrains. Including the UK and EFTA countries, 2.02 million new electric cars have been registered in 2025 so far, representing an 18.3 per cent market share. The overall EU market grew by 1.4 per cent year-to-date, while Europe as a whole saw a 1.9 per cent increase in registrations compared to the previous year. Electric car registrations, however, surged by 25.7 per cent in the EU and 26.2 per cent across Europe. While this growth is positive, ACEA considers it insufficient: With a 16.4 per cent market share, battery-electric cars are “still below the pace required for this phase of the transition,” according to the association.
Instead, the focus remains on the development of part-time electric vehicles: “Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the most popular power type choice among buyers, with plug-in hybrids continuing to gain momentum,” states ACEA. The numbers confirm this trend: In October, PHEVs recorded the highest growth among all powertrains in the EU, with a 43.2 per cent increase, and a 32.4 per cent rise year-to-date. Hybrids also saw growth, with 316,068 EU registrations in October and approximately 3.11 million units year-to-date, making them the largest powertrain category. Meanwhile, pure gasoline and diesel vehicles experienced double-digit declines. However, the statistics are somewhat misleading: ACEA combines full hybrids and mild hybrids under ‘hybrids’, which includes vehicles that can drive only very short distances—or not at all—on electric power alone, essentially functioning as near-pure internal combustion vehicles. Statistically, they are classified as hybrids rather than gasoline or diesel vehicles.
In the manufacturer statistics, ACEA—consistent with its usual practice—does not break down registrations by powertrain. While the Volkswagen Group remains the largest brand group with 264,069 registrations (+7.9%) in October, and Volkswagen leads at the brand level with 105,408 registrations (+5.9%), these figures include hybrids and internal combustion vehicles. For pure electric car brands, the focus remains on Tesla.
October, being the first month of a quarter, is traditionally weaker for Tesla, as the company typically records most deliveries and registrations toward the end of each quarter. Following the registration of 25,656 new Teslas in September, only 5,647 were registered in October. While Tesla managed to reduce losses to -18.6 per cent year-over-year in September, October registrations were 48.0 per cent lower than the 10,867 recorded in the same month last year. Year-to-date, Tesla has registered 117,000 vehicles in the EU, 39.2 per cent fewer than the 192,439 units in the same period last year. The development in November and December will be critical: Historically, Tesla has achieved strong year-end surges, but 2025 may focus on mitigating declines. While the Model Y remains a top electric seller in several markets, Tesla’s overall results are falling short of last year’s figures.
This article was first published by Sebastian Schaal for electrive’s German edition.
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