Economics
Electric Cars Are Gaining Ground Across Europe (stock photo)
Keystone
Wiesbaden (awp/dpa) – The share of electric cars among new vehicle registrations in the EU rose to a record high in 2025.
Today at 10:32
Today at 10:32All-electric passenger cars accounted for 17.3 percent of all new registrations, according to the Federal Statistical Office, citing data from the European statistical agency Eurostat.
This means that roughly one in six new passenger cars registered in the EU was an electric car. “That was a new record.”
According to the report, an additional 42.4 percent of newly registered passenger cars were hybrid vehicles, 27.3 percent were gasoline-only vehicles, and 9.8 percent were diesel-only vehicles. Other propulsion systems, such as liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas, played a minor role.
The share of all-electric cars in annual new vehicle registrations in the EU has risen significantly over the past ten years—in 2015, it stood at just 0.4 percent.
Denmark and the Netherlands Lead the Way in Electric Cars
In terms of the share of pure electric vehicles among new registrations, Germany stood at 19.1 percent in 2025—slightly above the EU average, but well behind some other countries. Across the EU, the share was highest in Denmark (67.8 percent), followed by the Netherlands (40.2) and Malta (37.6). The share of electric cars among new registrations was lowest in Croatia (1.9 percent), Slovakia (4.7), and Bulgaria (4.9).
High Gas Prices and Incentives Are Boosting E-Mobility
Electric cars have recently seen a surge in popularity in Germany—due to high gas prices, improved charging infrastructure, more affordable entry-level models, and the federal government’s incentive program. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, 69,000 all-electric cars were newly registered in Germany in August, a good 75 percent more than in the same month last year.
A country outside the EU leads the way across Europe: In Norway, a good 95 percent of newly registered passenger cars in 2025 were fully electric. The wide variation among countries is due to differences in investment in the charging infrastructure and subsidy policies.
Germany Dominates the EU Car Market
As the EU’s largest automotive market, Germany plays a key role in the transition to electric mobility: Approximately 545,100 new electric vehicles were registered in the country in 2025. This meant that Germany accounted for 28.9 percent of the 1.89 million new electric vehicle registrations in the EU. France followed far behind with 330,900 new electric vehicles and 17.5 percent of EU registrations.