EU Sees Decline in Battery-Electric Car Registrations While Croatia, Czech Republic, and Hungary Experience Extraordinary Growth

Battery-electric car registrations in the European Union fell by 1% last month, totaling 156,408 units, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). This decline resulted in a market share drop from 15.1% to 14.4% compared to the same period last year.

Despite the overall decline, several countries reported significant annual increases in battery-electric car registrations. Croatia saw a remarkable rise of 161.4%, registering 298 units; Czechia increased by 140.8% with 1,524 units; and Hungary experienced a 123.8% growth with 864 units in June.

In terms of absolute numbers, Germany led with 43,412 new registrations, followed by France with 29,837 and Belgium with 13,714. Outside the EU, the UK registered 34,034 battery-electric vehicles. Conversely, several countries experienced significant year-on-year declines. Ireland’s registrations dropped by 52.2%, Romania by 45.3%, Latvia by 42.5%, and Lithuania by 42%. Iceland, not part of the EU, saw a sharp decline of 76.4%. Other notable changes included increases in Belgium (+50.4%), Italy (+117.4%), and declines in Germany (-18.1%), the Netherlands (-15%), and France (-10.3%).

Lucien Mathieu, the cars director at Transport & Environment (T&E), commented on the situation, highlighting that markets with stable EV incentives are thriving. He specifically criticized Germany’s performance, dubbing it “the sick man of Europe” in the EV sector. Germany had ended EV purchase subsidies in December as part of a 2024 budget agreement.

Meanwhile, petrol car sales remained mostly stable, with a slight decline of 0.7% in June. Significant decreases in France (-20.2%) and Spain (-7.5%) were offset by increases in Germany (+12.1%) and Italy (+6.9%). Consequently, petrol cars now account for 34.4% of the market, down from 36.2% last year. Across all vehicle types, the Volkswagen Group led sales with a 25.8% market share, followed by Stellantis (15.7%) and the Renault Group (10.9%).

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