1.9 million electric cars: why does 2025 mark a new threshold in Europe?

In 2025, 1.9 million electric vehicles were registered across Europe. They account for 17.4% of total sales, up 30% on 2024.

A symbolic threshold has been crossed: close to one registration in six is now fully electric. But that figure hides another, less commented one: the hybrid remains the dominant powertrain in the European market, at 44% of registrations.

Where do the real drivers of this growth lie? Why are the gaps between European countries so wide? And what does the persistent dominance of the hybrid reveal about the real pace of the transition?

Key figures for the European electric car market

Key points for 2025:

– 1.9 million electric vehicles registered in Europe
– 17.4% of total sales
– growth of 30% on 2024
– 545,000 registrations in Germany, the largest market by volume
– +160% in Poland, the strongest relative growth on the continent

Breakdown of the European powertrain mix:

– hybrid (plug-in or not): 44% of registrations
– electric: 17.4%
– petrol: 26%
– diesel: less than 9%

Volume or momentum: two ways to read the ranking

The European market can be read in two ways, and they do not point to the same winners.

By volume: Germany dominates

With 545,000 electric registrations and growth of 43%, Germany alone accounts for close to 29% of the European total. That weight reflects the size of its car market and the presence of domestic manufacturers strongly committed to electrification.

By momentum: Poland surprises

Poland posts the strongest growth on the continent: +160%. A spectacular figure, but one to read with care: the electric market share there reaches only 9%.

That gap illustrates a classic base effect. Starting from a very low level allows high growth rates without the market being mature for all that.

The other major markets:

– Spain: +77%, for 9% of sales
– Italy: +44%, for 6% of volumes
– Belgium and France: +12.5%

France and Belgium show the most modest growth in the panel. A relative slowdown explained in part by a level of electrification already more advanced than that of the catching-up markets.

Why are the gaps between European countries so wide?

The pace of electrification varies widely from one country to another. Several factors combine:

– purchase incentive schemes, their level and their stability over time
– taxation, particularly on company cars
– the structure of the national car market, and especially the weight of corporate fleets
– model availability and how well it matches local price brackets
– charging infrastructure and its territorial density

There is therefore no single European electric market, but a juxtaposition of national markets whose trajectories depend largely on public policy choices.

What the dominance of the hybrid reveals

This is the least commented lesson of the year: at 44% of registrations, the hybrid remains the best-selling powertrain in Europe more than double the electric share.

That pre-eminence reflects cautious buying behaviour. The hybrid reduces fuel consumption without giving up range or depending on charging infrastructure. It works as an intermediate step, more accessible both economically and psychologically.

The decline of diesel, now below 9%, also confirms a deep recomposition of the mix: it is not electric that directly replaces combustion, but the hybrid that absorbs most of the shift.

The European car market is therefore in a two-speed transition: real growth in electric, driven by a growing minority of buyers, and a majority opting for a compromise solution.

What this year says about the market ahead

The 17.4% threshold marks a stage, not a tipping point.

Three points deserve tracking over time:

1. The conversion of growth rates into market share. Growth of 160% from a low base says nothing about a market’s maturity.
2. The hybrid/electric pairing. The moment electric starts taking share from the hybrid, and no longer only from combustion, will be a genuine tipping signal.
3. The stability of public schemes. The most dynamic markets are also the most sensitive to changes in incentive policy.

This is one of the issues at the heart of the latest study by the Observatoire Cetelem de BNP Paribas Personal Finance, which identifies five levers capable of creating a rebound for the automotive sector.

👉 Discover the Auto 2026 study by the Observatoire Cetelem

Key takeaways

In 2025, 1.9 million electric cars were registered in Europe, 17.4% of sales and growth of 30% year on year. Germany leads by volume with 545,000 registrations, while Poland posts the strongest growth at +160% — from a low base, its market share remaining at 9%.

The hybrid nonetheless remains the dominant powertrain at 44% of registrations, while diesel falls below 9%. The European market is therefore still in a two-speed transition, in which electric is genuinely growing without yet taking hold.