EU new car demand up as BEVs gain market share

Brussels – EU new car registrations rose 3.2% year-on-year to 955,013 units in the month of May, according to the latest data published by European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).

Year-to-date, demand rose 4% to just under 4.75 million, indicating “a strong start to the year amid a backdrop of persistent geopolitical headwinds weighing on the outlook.”

The market continued to benefit from robust consumer demand for a range of electrified technologies across key European markets, sustained by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes.

Hybrid-electric vehicles remained the most popular powertrain choice among buyers, while battery-electric cars accounted for one in five registrations.

Over the first five months of the year, demand for battery-electric cars accounted for 20% of the EU market, an increase from 15.3% a year earlier.

Hybrid-electric car registrations captured 37.8% of the market, remaining the preferred choice among consumers in the EU.

Moreover, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars declined to 30.1%, down from 38%.