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The amount of new electric cars registered in the European Union has grown significantly in the last decade, particularly between 2019 and 2023, with a small decline in 2024. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have become a major part of the new car market, playing a key role in driving down average CO2 emissions from passenger cars. In 2024, over 1.4 million new BEV were registered in the EU, accounting for 13.6% of new car registrations. Some 800,000 new PHEV were registered (7.3% of new car fleet), implying around 2.2 million new electric cars were added to the market, up from around 400 000 in 2019.

Figure 1. New registration of electric cars, EU-27

The transport sector is one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in the European Union. Reducing emissions from this sector is vital to achieving the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality objective.

To achieve decarbonisation of the EU’s passenger car fleet, the EU has set CO2 emission targets for new passenger cars, which become progressively stricter over time. From 2025 onwards, vehicle manufacturers must reduce emissions from their new cars put on the EU market by 15% (compared to 2021 levels); by 2030, a 55% reduction needs to be achieved. From 2035 onwards, the fleet target will be zero g/km. A continued growth in the uptake of electric vehicles will be needed to achieve these targets.

The share of new electric cars registered in the EU, including both battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), has significantly grown in the last decade. The number of new electric cars increased from just 600 vehicles in 2010 to 1 million in 2020, and 2.4 million in 2023. During 2024, BEVs accounted for 13.6% of total new car registrations, while PHEVs represented 7.3%.

In recent years, the variety of EV body types available on the European market has begun to expand as more compact electric cars are being offered. Alongside this diversification, the average range of newly registered BEVs in the EU-27 Member States has increased. Due to advancements in battery technology, the development of larger batteries and increasingly efficient drivetrains, many electric cars offer ranges - under type-approval conditions - that exceed 400 kilometres. Several models are now reaching more than 500km on a single charge.

Despite significant growth in recent years, a further expansion of Europe’s electric car fleet is required to meet the emissions reduction targets and ensure progress towards the EU’s 2050 objective of being climate neutral.

Figure 2. Newly registered electric cars by country

The above figures show the degree of uptake of electric cars strongly varies between countries in the EU-27, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. The Nordic countries lead Europe in electric vehicle adoption, with electric powertrains representing more than 50% of new car registrations in 2024.

For Denmark, compared to 2023, the number of new electric vehicles grew by 9 percentage points in 2024. BEVs became the dominant new powertrain in Denmark due to strong government incentives: lower registrations and ownership taxes (compared to conventional vehicles), company tax benefits and electricity tax reimbursements.

In absolute numbers, Germany, France and the Netherlands together accounted for about 52% of all new BEV registrations among the EU-27 and EEA member countries. Germany experienced a 27% decline in BEV registrations in 2024 compared to 2023, mainly due to the cancellation of an environmental bonus for BEV purchases. However, in first half of 2025, the uptake of electric cars increased compared to 2024.

In Poland and Slovakia, less than 5% of the 2024 new car fleet consisted of EVs.