In November 2022, new car sales in Europe increased by 17% with battery-electric cars outselling diesel vehicles in the European market.
New passenger vehicle registrations in the European Union (EU), EFTA, and the United Kingdom increased by 17% to 1,010,900 cars in November 2022. Battery-electric vehicle sales increased to take a 17.1% share of the European new car market — just more than diesel’s 16% share. The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling car model and electric car in Europe in November 2022.
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
European New Car Market in November 2022
In November 2022, new passenger vehicle registrations in the European Union (EU), EFTA, and the United Kingdom increased by 17% to 1,010,900 cars — the fourth consecutive month of growth in car sales in Europe, according to Jato. However, November 2021 was a weak month with car sales down 18% to only 860,700 vehicles. Car sales in Europe in November 2020 were 1.03 million vehicles and in 2019 still 1.19 million.
In the first eleven months of 2022, the European new car market contracted by 6% to 10,167,700 vehicles.
Car Sales in Europe by Fuel Type in November 2022
In November 2022, the registration of battery-electric cars increased by 30% to 172,600 BEVs for a 17.1% market share of the total new car market in Europe — the second-highest ever after 18.9% in December 2021. Stong BEV registrations are likely in December 2022 too.
The sharp increase was more a case of higher deliveries than higher sales or demand — the Volkswagen Group alone claimed to have backorders in Europe for 310,000 electric cars at the start of 2023. Carmakers either managed to increase the production of electric cars, or diverted resources from other models and markets, to beat a change in regulations at the end of the year. In Germany, for example, subsidies for battery-electric cars will be reduced from January and completely scrapped for plug-in hybrids.
Top Electric Car Brands in Europe in November 2022
In November 2022, Tesla achieved a volume increase of 93% in Europe, while the US manufacturer’s share of the BEV market jumped to 18.9% from 12.3% in November 2021. This impressive performance stands out given Tesla usually sees a decline in registrations during the first and second months of each quarter. Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics, commented: “Despite the emergence of new rivals, November’s results show that Tesla’s growth is accelerating, cementing its leadership in the European BEV market.”
Other OEMs that saw share increases in the BEV market include Geely (Volvo & Polestar) – up by 4.4 points to equal BMW Group – and SAIC (MG & Maxus), up by 2.6 points. At the other end of the spectrum, Renault Group (Renault & Dacia) lost 5.2 points, along with Hyundai-Kia, down by 5.1 points.
Best-Selling Car Models in Europe in November 2022
The Tesla Model Y was the top-selling car model in Europe in November 2022 and by far the most popular battery-electric car model. As a result, the midsize SUV became the 22nd best-seller in the year-to-date ranking. Year-to-date, the Peugeot 208 remained the most popular car model in Europe in 2022.
Among the latest launches, the Volkswagen Taigo performed well with more than 6,000 units, closely followed by the Dacia Jogger with almost 5,700 units. The BMW i4 registered 3,822 units, becoming the 13th best-selling BEV. The Volvo C40 saw its best result to date registering 3,562 units. The new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer registered 3,095 units becoming the best-selling MPV in Europe. The Volkswagen ID.5 registered 2,702 units and the Mazda CX-60 registered 2,508 units. The Renault Austral and Alfa Romeo Tonale followed with 2,075 units and 2,031 units, respectively.
