{"id":35845,"date":"2026-01-19T14:36:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T13:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/?p=35845"},"modified":"2026-08-19T14:55:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T12:55:41","slug":"european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026","title":{"rendered":"Europe\u2019s car fleet: why are only 2.3% of cars on the road electric?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>255 million cars<\/strong>&nbsp;are on Europe\u2019s roads every day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The figure, published by ACEA, gives a sense of the true scale of the automotive transition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Europe\u2019s car fleet is&nbsp;<strong>12.5 years old on average<\/strong>&nbsp;and remains overwhelmingly powered by internal combustion engines:&nbsp;<strong>50% petrol and 38% diesel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fully electric cars account for just&nbsp;<strong>2.3% of vehicles currently on the road<\/strong>, even though they already represented&nbsp;<strong>17.4% of new car sales in Europe<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How can such a large gap between new sales and the existing fleet be explained? What does the age of Europe\u2019s cars tell us about household purchasing power? And how long does it actually take to transform a fleet of 255 million vehicles?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"iframe-wrapper\"><iframe title=\"Mobility Minute #12 Europe\u2019s car problem: too many vehicles, too old, too slow to change \ud83e\udee8\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dLC530sYOiY?feature=oembed\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key figures on Europe\u2019s car fleet<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Key takeaways:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2013&nbsp;<strong>255 million cars<\/strong>&nbsp;are on the road in Europe<br>\u2013 the average vehicle is&nbsp;<strong>12.5 years old<\/strong><br>\u2013 the average exceeds&nbsp;<strong>17 years in Greece<\/strong>, which has one of Europe\u2019s oldest fleets<br>\u2013 each vehicle travels around&nbsp;<strong>12,000 km per year<\/strong>, or approximately 1,000 km per month<br>\u2013&nbsp;<strong>50% petrol<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>38% diesel<\/strong>,&nbsp;<strong>2.3% fully electric<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Europe\u2019s three largest national car fleets<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Germany:<\/strong>&nbsp;around 50 million vehicles<br>\u2013&nbsp;<strong>Italy:<\/strong>&nbsp;41.3 million<br>\u2013&nbsp;<strong>France:<\/strong>&nbsp;around 40 million<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>New car sales and the existing fleet tell two very different stories<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the central lesson from the data and one that is too often overlooked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2025, fully electric cars represented&nbsp;<strong>17.4% of new registrations in Europe<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But they account for only&nbsp;<strong>2.3% of the cars currently on the road<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That is roughly a one-to-seven ratio.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is nothing unusual about this gap. It reflects a fundamental distinction between a&nbsp;<strong>flow<\/strong>&nbsp;the vehicles sold during a given year and a&nbsp;<strong>stock<\/strong> all the vehicles accumulated over decades that remain on the road.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New registrations replace only a small proportion of the existing fleet each year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even if electric vehicles were to account for half of all new cars sold, it would still take many years before that transformation was fully reflected in the vehicles Europeans actually drive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is why new-car sales figures, which attract much of the attention, provide a picture that is&nbsp;<strong>ahead of the reality on the road<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The existing fleet shows what people are actually driving today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>An ageing car fleet reflects pressure on household purchasing power<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An average age of&nbsp;<strong>12.5 years<\/strong>&nbsp;shows just how long European motorists are keeping their cars.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One explanation is financial.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Replacing a vehicle requires a substantial household budget, and the rising price of new cars means many consumers are choosing to hold on to their existing vehicles for longer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keeping a car for a few more years is increasingly becoming the default choice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is also an element of uncertainty surrounding the energy transition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric vehicles all competing for motorists\u2019 attention, some consumers may prefer to delay a decision they see as risky particularly when it comes to future resale value, access to charging infrastructure or changes in regulation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Greece, where the average car is more than&nbsp;<strong>17 years old<\/strong>, also illustrates the close relationship between national purchasing power and the ability of households to renew their vehicles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The paradox: the older the car, the more it can cost<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keeping a vehicle for longer can appear to be a way of saving money.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there is another side to the equation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As cars age, maintenance costs tend to rise, driven by the cost of replacement parts and labour.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The financial burden of car ownership therefore does not necessarily disappear.&nbsp;<strong>It shifts from purchasing a vehicle towards maintaining it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is particularly significant given that the average European vehicle travels around&nbsp;<strong>12,000 kilometres a year<\/strong>, or approximately&nbsp;<strong>1,000 kilometres a month<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Europeans are not necessarily driving huge distances but they are increasingly doing so in older vehicles.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is one of the issues explored in the&nbsp;<strong>Cetelem Observatory Automotive 2026 study<\/strong>, which identifies five factors that could help the automotive market rebound.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc49&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/lobservatoire-cetelem-de-lautomobile\/5-ways-to-bounce-back\">Discover the Cetelem Observatory Automotive 2026 study<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What the existing car fleet tells us about the transition ahead<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three main lessons emerge from the figures.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The transition will take decades, not years<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With 255 million vehicles on the road and an average age of 12.5 years, completely transforming Europe\u2019s car fleet is necessarily a long-term process.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The composition of new-car sales can change quickly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The composition of the entire fleet cannot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Internal combustion engines still dominate everyday mobility<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Petrol and diesel cars together account for&nbsp;<strong>88% of vehicles currently on European roads<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This means that mobility policies are still addressing a fleet that remains overwhelmingly powered by internal combustion engines.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The used-car market will become increasingly strategic<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An ageing fleet combined with a growing flow of new electric vehicles will gradually feed more electric cars into the second-hand market.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This could become one of the most important mechanisms for making electric mobility accessible to households with more limited budgets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key takeaways<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are&nbsp;<strong>255 million cars on European roads<\/strong>, according to ACEA.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Germany has the largest national fleet, with around&nbsp;<strong>50 million vehicles<\/strong>, followed by Italy with&nbsp;<strong>41.3 million<\/strong>&nbsp;and France with around&nbsp;<strong>40 million<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The average European car is&nbsp;<strong>12.5 years old<\/strong>&nbsp;and more than 17 years old in Greece while travelling around&nbsp;<strong>12,000 kilometres per year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fleet remains overwhelmingly powered by internal combustion engines:&nbsp;<strong>50% petrol and 38% diesel<\/strong>, compared with just&nbsp;<strong>2.3% fully electric vehicles<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The contrast between EVs accounting for 2.3% of the existing fleet and 17.4% of new-car sales illustrates one fundamental point:&nbsp;<strong>the energy transition of the car fleet will be measured in decades rather than years.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Changing the annual flow of new registrations can happen relatively quickly. Transforming a stock of 255 million vehicles takes far longer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\ud83d\udc49\u00a0<strong>Read also: European households save 16% of their income<\/strong><br>\ud83d\udc49\u00a0<strong>Back to the January 2026 Mobility &amp; Consumption Minute on BNP Paribas Personal Finance<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-e3964afe wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-top-left-radius:28px;border-top-right-radius:28px;border-bottom-left-radius:28px;border-bottom-right-radius:28px;background-color:#dcdcdc;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--60)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><strong><strong>FAQ &#8211; Europe\u2019s car fleet<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Why are only 2.3% of cars on the road electric when EVs account for 17.4% of new sales?<\/strong><br>Because annual registrations are a flow, while the existing car fleet is a stock accumulated over decades. New vehicle registrations replace only a small proportion of the 255 million cars currently on European roads each year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Why is Europe\u2019s car fleet getting older?<\/strong><br>Vehicle replacement is being slowed by the cost of new cars and by motorists delaying purchasing decisions as they consider petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric alternatives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Does keeping a car for longer reduce its cost?<\/strong><br>Not necessarily. As vehicles age, maintenance expenses can increase because of the cost of spare parts, repairs and labour. Household spending therefore shifts from purchasing the vehicle towards maintaining it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Which European country has the oldest car fleet?<\/strong><br>Greece has one of Europe\u2019s oldest car fleets, with vehicles more than 17 years old on average, compared with around 12.5 years across Europe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>How many kilometres does the average European car travel each year?<\/strong><br>Around&nbsp;<strong>12,000 kilometres per year<\/strong>, or close to&nbsp;<strong>1,000 kilometres per month<\/strong>, although there are significant differences between countries and vehicle types.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Where can I find the detailed analyses?<\/strong><br>Both full analyses are published on the Observatoire Cetelem website, in the Automotive and Consumption sections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Why are only 2.3% of cars on the road electric when EVs account for 17.4% of new sales?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Because annual registrations are a flow, while the existing car fleet is a stock accumulated over decades. New vehicle registrations replace only a small proportion of the 255 million cars currently on European roads each year.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Why is Europe\u2019s car fleet getting older?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Vehicle replacement is being slowed by the cost of new cars and by motorists delaying purchasing decisions as they consider petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric alternatives.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Does keeping a car for longer reduce its cost?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Not necessarily. As vehicles age, maintenance expenses can increase because of the cost of spare parts, repairs and labour. Household spending therefore shifts from purchasing the vehicle towards maintaining it.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"Which European country has the oldest car fleet?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Greece has one of Europe\u2019s oldest car fleets, with vehicles more than 17 years old on average, compared with around 12.5 years across Europe.\"\n      }\n    },\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Question\",\n      \"name\": \"How many kilometres does the average European car travel each year?\",\n      \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n        \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n        \"text\": \"Around 12,000 kilometres per year, or close to 1,000 kilometres per month, although there are significant differences between countries and vehicle types.\"\n      }\n    }\n  ]\n}\n<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"container\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>255 million cars&nbsp;are on Europe\u2019s roads every day. The figure, published by ACEA, gives a sense of the true scale of the automotive transition. Europe\u2019s car fleet is&nbsp;12.5 years old on average&nbsp;and remains overwhelmingly powered by internal combustion engines:&nbsp;50% petrol and 38% diesel. Fully electric cars account for just&nbsp;2.3% of vehicles currently on the road, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1981,"featured_media":35636,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1495,1496],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mobility-minute","category-consumption-minute"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Europe\u2019s car fleet: why are only 2.3% of cars electric?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Europe has 255 million cars on the road, but only 2.3% are electric. Why does the existing fleet change much more slowly than new car sales?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Europe\u2019s car fleet: why are only 2.3% of cars electric?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Europe has 255 million cars on the road, but only 2.3% are electric. Why does the existing fleet change much more slowly than new car sales?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cetelem Observatory | Observe, enlighten and decipher the evolution of consumption patterns in France and abroad\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-19T13:36:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-19T12:55:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/flavien-2026-1400x465-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"465\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"hugopicarel\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"hugopicarel\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026\",\"name\":\"Europe\u2019s car fleet: why are only 2.3% of cars electric?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/flavien-2026-1400x465-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-19T13:36:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-08-19T12:55:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d7251fb2f4df60f6d90ee403a303b8e1\"},\"description\":\"Europe has 255 million cars on the road, but only 2.3% are electric. Why does the existing fleet change much more slowly than new car sales?\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/flavien-2026-1400x465-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/flavien-2026-1400x465-1.png\",\"width\":1400,\"height\":465},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Europe\u2019s car fleet: why are only 2.3% of cars on the road electric?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/\",\"name\":\"Cetelem Observatory | Observe, enlighten and decipher the evolution of consumption patterns in France and abroad\",\"description\":\"L'Observatoire Cetelem\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d7251fb2f4df60f6d90ee403a303b8e1\",\"name\":\"hugopicarel\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe5d39e8958c587a93bd8cae1503712fa747474db596278277ffa7984594cf0e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe5d39e8958c587a93bd8cae1503712fa747474db596278277ffa7984594cf0e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"hugopicarel\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/author\/hugopicarel\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Europe\u2019s car fleet: why are only 2.3% of cars electric?","description":"Europe has 255 million cars on the road, but only 2.3% are electric. Why does the existing fleet change much more slowly than new car sales?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Europe\u2019s car fleet: why are only 2.3% of cars electric?","og_description":"Europe has 255 million cars on the road, but only 2.3% are electric. Why does the existing fleet change much more slowly than new car sales?","og_url":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026","og_site_name":"Cetelem Observatory | Observe, enlighten and decipher the evolution of consumption patterns in France and abroad","article_published_time":"2026-01-19T13:36:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-19T12:55:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1400,"height":465,"url":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/flavien-2026-1400x465-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"hugopicarel","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"hugopicarel","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026","url":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026","name":"Europe\u2019s car fleet: why are only 2.3% of cars electric?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/flavien-2026-1400x465-1.png","datePublished":"2026-01-19T13:36:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-19T12:55:41+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d7251fb2f4df60f6d90ee403a303b8e1"},"description":"Europe has 255 million cars on the road, but only 2.3% are electric. Why does the existing fleet change much more slowly than new car sales?","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/flavien-2026-1400x465-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/flavien-2026-1400x465-1.png","width":1400,"height":465},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/mobility-minute\/european-car-fleet-electric-cars-2026#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Europe\u2019s car fleet: why are only 2.3% of cars on the road electric?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/","name":"Cetelem Observatory | Observe, enlighten and decipher the evolution of consumption patterns in France and abroad","description":"L'Observatoire Cetelem","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/#\/schema\/person\/d7251fb2f4df60f6d90ee403a303b8e1","name":"hugopicarel","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe5d39e8958c587a93bd8cae1503712fa747474db596278277ffa7984594cf0e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fe5d39e8958c587a93bd8cae1503712fa747474db596278277ffa7984594cf0e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"hugopicarel"},"url":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/author\/hugopicarel"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1981"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35845"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35853,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35845\/revisions\/35853"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/observatoirecetelem.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}