In full year 2022, Germany was the largest single-country market in Europe for battery electric car and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales.
In full calendar year 2022, new battery electric vehicle registrations in the European Union (EU), EFTA, and the UK increased by 29.% to over one and a half million electric cars. Germany remained by far the largest country market for electric cars followed by Great Britain, France, and Sweden. Sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles were flat and are likely to decrease as subsidies in Germany were canceled from the beginning of 2023.
Latest European Car Market Statistics 2022: By Country, Brands, Models, Electric, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, Full Year, 2021 & 2020
Car Sales by Fuel Type in Europe in 2022 (Full Year)
In the full calendar year 2022, registrations of new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the European Union, EFTA, and the UK increased by 29% despite a 4.1% contraction of the overall new car market in 2022. As a result, the market share of BEVs expanded to 12.1%, a 3.0-percentage-point improvement compared to 2021.
2022 was also a strong year for hybrid car sales in Europe for a market share of 22.6%. Plug-in hybrids are likely to sell in lower numbers in coming years. Traditional petrol and diesel fuel types continued to lose ground but petrol remained by far the most popular fuel type in Europe. Most hybrids and plug-in hybrids are probably driving mostly on petrol too.
Battery Electric Car Sales per European Country in 2022 (Full Year)
Registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEV) in various European Union, EFTA, and the UK countries during the full calendar year 2022 were as follows according to ACEA statistics:
| Country | 2022 | 2021 | % 22/21 |
| Austria | 34,179 | 33,380 | +2.4 |
| Belgium | 37,638 | 22,677 | +66.0 |
| Bulgaria | 1,002 | 433 | +131.4 |
| Croatia | 1,369 | 1,351 | +1.3 |
| Cyprus | 403 | 84 | +379.8 |
| Czech Republic | 3,895 | 2,655 | +46.7 |
| Denmark | 30,855 | 24,998 | +23.4 |
| Estonia | 731 | 484 | +51.0 |
| Finland | 14,530 | 10,153 | +43.1 |
| France | 203,122 | 162,167 | +25.3 |
| Germany | 471,394 | 356,425 | +32.3 |
| Greece | 2,827 | 2,176 | +29.9 |
| Hungary | 4,710 | 4,312 | +9.2 |
| Ireland | 15,678 | 8,646 | +81.3 |
| Italy | 49,179 | 67,284 | -26.9 |
| Latvia | 1,068 | 414 | +158.0 |
| Lithuania | 1,358 | 1,158 | +17.3 |
| Luxembourg | 6,393 | 4,650 | +37.5 |
| Netherlands | 73,394 | 63,780 | +15.1 |
| Poland | 11,334 | 7,166 | +58.2 |
| Portugal | 17,817 | 13,260 | +34.4 |
| Romania | 11,638 | 6,342 | +83.5 |
| Slovakia | 1,391 | 1,105 | +25.9 |
| Slovenia | 2,293 | 1,723 | +33.1 |
| Spain | 30,545 | 23,689 | +28.9 |
| Sweden | 95,035 | 57,473 | +65.4 |
| EUROPEAN UNION | 1,123,778 | 877,985 | +28.0 |
| Iceland | 5,566 | 3,565 | +56.1 |
| Norway | 138,287 | 113,751 | +21.6 |
| Switzerland | 40,245 | 31,889 | +26.2 |
| EFTA | 184,098 | 149,205 | +23.4 |
| United Kingdom | 267,203 | 190,727 | +40.1 |
| EU + EFTA + UK | 1,575,079 | 1,217,917 | +29.3 |
| Source: ACEA |
Electric Car Sales in Europe in 2022 (Full Year)
In 2022, Germany remained by far the largest market for battery electric cars in Europe. Electric car sales in Germany increased by nearly a third while growth was even faster in the UK, the second largest market. In France, electric car sales expanded by a quarter.
Growth was slower in Norway, the fourth largest battery electric car market where market penetration is approaching 80%. In Sweden, electric car sales were up by nearly two-thirds making it the fifth-largest market in Europe.
Italy, where the total passenger car market contracted by a tenth, was the only European country with lower electric car sales in 2022.
Plug-In Hybrid Car Sales by Country in Europe in 2022
Registrations of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) in various European Union and EFTA member countries in 2022 (full year) were as follows according to ACEA statistics:
| Country | 2022 | 2021 | % 22/21 |
| Austria | 13,268 | 14,626 | -9.3 |
| Belgium | 59,281 | 47,753 | +24.1 |
| Bulgaria2 | 141 | 117 | +20.5 |
| Croatia | 836 | 399 | +109.5 |
| Cyprus | 228 | 98 | +132.7 |
| Czech Republic | 3,560 | 3,736 | -4.7 |
| Denmark | 26,442 | 40,476 | -34.7 |
| Estonia2 | 426 | 239 | +78.2 |
| Finland | 16,171 | 20,140 | -19.7 |
| France | 126,547 | 141,001 | -10.3 |
| Germany | 362,093 | 325,449 | +11.3 |
| Greece | 5,493 | 4,785 | +14.8 |
| Hungary | 4,874 | 4,236 | +15.1 |
| Ireland | 7,678 | 7,891 | -2.7 |
| Italy | 65,580 | 69,834 | -6.1 |
| Latvia2 | 301 | 137 | +119.7 |
| Lithuania | 666 | 400 | +66.5 |
| Luxembourg | 3,847 | 4,443 | -13.4 |
| Netherlands | 34,512 | 30,991 | +11.4 |
| Poland | 9,664 | 9,138 | +5.8 |
| Portugal | 16,026 | 15,660 | +2.3 |
| Romania | 0 | 0 | |
| Slovakia | 1,556 | 1,166 | +33.4 |
| Slovenia | 590 | 308 | +91.6 |
| Spain | 47,788 | 43,227 | +10.6 |
| Sweden | 66,614 | 77,853 | -14.4 |
| EUROPEAN UNION | 874,182 | 864,103 | +1.2 |
| Iceland | 3,752 | 3,422 | +9.6 |
| Norway | 16,124 | 38,167 | -57.8 |
| Switzerland | 18,355 | 21,790 | -15.8 |
| EFTA | 38,231 | 63,379 | -39.7 |
| United Kingdom | 101,414 | 114,554 | -11.5 |
| EU + EFTA + UK | 1,013,827 | 1,042,036 | -2.7 |
| Source: ACEA |
European Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Sales in 2022
Germany was again the largest country market for plug-in hybrid vehicles in Europe in 2022 but as government subsidies on PHEVs were no longer available from 2023, the PHEV market in Germany and in most of Europe is likely to contract. Almost half of all PHEVs in Germany were registered in the final quarter of the year as carmakers (and buyers) tried to take advantage of the subsidies. It is doubtful that the costs of having two power systems in a car will be bearable to buyers without subsidies and tax incentives.
PHEV registrations in Germany increased by 11% but in other big markets — France, UK, and Sweden — PHEV sales were down by over a tenth. In the EU, the strong German market contributed to the 1.2% increase in PHEV sales but in the larger European region, the strong contraction in PHEV sales in the UK and Sweden led to a 2.7% decrease in the overall size of the PHEV market.
