In May 2025, the European Union saw a modest increase in passenger car registrations, rising by 1.6% compared to the previous year, totaling 926,582 units. This follows a 1.3% increase observed in April. Notably, Spain and the Netherlands led this growth with gains of 18.6% and 7.3%, respectively, while Germany experienced a slight rise of 1.2%. In contrast, Belgium and Italy faced declines, with registrations falling by 11.7% and 0.1%, respectively.
The battery electric vehicle (BEV) segment experienced a remarkable expansion, with registrations soaring by 25%, largely powered by a 44.9% surge in Germany. Despite these gains, the first five months of 2025 saw a slight overall decrease in car registrations by 0.6% year-on-year. However, sales of new battery-electric cars significantly increased by 26.1%, reaching 701,089 units and securing a 15.4% share of the total EU market. Of the four largest markets for BEVs in the EU—Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands—these three collectively contributed to 62% of all BEV registrations. In contrast, France witnessed a decrease of 7.1% in this sector.
