Car sales Europe: hybrids rocket past EVs

Europe in reverse

The European car market had mixed success in July.
While Italy and Spain saw a small increase in new car sales, sales in France and Germany actually slumped.
Still, overall, the market grew somewhat in Europe this year, with a slight increase in new car registrations.
But what is most striking is not how many cars have been put on the road, but what kind of cars Europeans are choosing.

Electric cars

All-electric cars are losing a lot of ground in Europe.
All-electric car registrations fell 10.8% to 102,705 units in July 2024.
The blow fell especially hard in Germany with a steep -36.8% drop in EV registrations in July.
In the Netherlands (+8.9%) and Belgium (+44.2%), EVs remain as popular as ever, but it was not enough to stop the overall decline in Europe in the month of July.

Hybrids on the rise

While fully electric cars are taking a step back, sales of hybrids are actually surging ahead.
A fuel-efficient car with a partially electric powertrain seems to be exactly what many Europeans are now looking for.
In July 2024, the number of hybrids sold increased by 25.7% to 273,003 registered cars.
Especially in countries such as France, Spain, Germany and Italy, hybrid cars are unstoppable.

And gasoline and diesel cars?

Gasoline and diesel cars are slowly but surely losing ground.
Especially in France and Spain, buyers seem less inclined to choose the traditional options, now that more attractive (and often more fuel-efficient) hybrid alternatives are on the market.
Yet gasoline cars still retain the largest share, although the gap is narrowing.

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