2024 (First Half): Germany remained the largest new car and BEV country market in Europe (EU, EFTA, UK) followed by Britain and France.
During the first semester of 2024, the European new car market expanded by 4.4% to almost 6.9 million passenger vehicles. Battery electric car sales increased by only 1.6% to 954,000 BEVs. Germany, Britain, and France remained the largest new car country markets for both passenger cars and battery-electric vehicles. Volkswagen remained Europe’s largest carmaker and brand during the first half of 2024.
Latest European Car Market Statistics 2024: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October; 2023: By Country, Brands, Models, Electric Models.
European New Car Market in 2024 (First Semester)
New passenger vehicle registrations in Europe (European Union, EFTA, and UK) increased by 4.4% during the first half of 2024 to 6,879,438 cars. However, the total European new car market remained 18% smaller than in the first semester of 2019.
The sales of battery-electric vehicles in Europe increased by a more moderate 1.6% to 954,094 electric cars — only around 15,000 more than during the first half of 2023 and a market share of only 12.5% compared to 12.9% in January to June 2023. Electric car sales in Germany were down 16% and in Sweden by a fifth.
Car Sales by Country in Europe in 2024 (First Half Year)
New passenger vehicle registrations in Europe during the first six months of 2024 were as follows according to the ACEA:
| Country | 1-6/2024 | 1-6/2023 | % Change |
| Austria | 135,113 | 126,690 | 6.6 |
| Belgium | 263,408 | 264,475 | -0.4 |
| Bulgaria | 23,047 | 17,616 | 30.8 |
| Croatia | 39,591 | 34,571 | 14.5 |
| Cyprus | 8,791 | 7,642 | 15.0 |
| Czechia | 119,221 | 115,548 | 3.2 |
| Denmark | 86,362 | 84,312 | 2.4 |
| Estonia | 10,167 | 12,131 | -16.2 |
| Finland | 39,154 | 46,874 | -16.5 |
| France | 914,886 | 889,776 | 2.8 |
| Germany | 1,471,641 | 1,396,870 | 5.4 |
| Greece | 78,020 | 70,361 | 10.9 |
| Hungary | 63,337 | 56,594 | 11.9 |
| Ireland | 78,926 | 77,602 | 1.7 |
| Italy | 885,731 | 840,658 | 5.4 |
| Latvia | 8,734 | 10,010 | -12.7 |
| Lithuania | 14,788 | 14,777 | 0.1 |
| Luxembourg | 25,082 | 26,494 | -5.3 |
| Malta | 4,429 | 3,970 | 11.6 |
| Netherlands | 193,617 | 200,592 | -3.5 |
| Poland | 276,957 | 238,674 | 16.0 |
| Portugal | 116,417 | 110,155 | 5.7 |
| Romania | 83,505 | 73,645 | 13.4 |
| Slovakia | 47,045 | 45,457 | 3.5 |
| Slovenia | 28,337 | 27,310 | 3.8 |
| Spain | 535,243 | 505,424 | 5.9 |
| Sweden | 132,294 | 140,660 | -5.9 |
| EUROPEAN UNION | 5,683,843 | 5,438,888 | 4.5 |
| Iceland | 6,356 | 10,266 | -38.1 |
| Norway | 61,258 | 66,547 | -7.9 |
| Switzerland | 121,218 | 123,753 | -2.0 |
| EFTA | 188,832 | 200,566 | -5.9 |
| United Kingdom | 1,006,763 | 949,720 | 6.0 |
| EU + EFTA + UK | 6,879,438 | 6,589,174 | 4.4 |
| Source: ACEA |
New car sales increased in the top-five country markets in Europe during the first half of 2024 — France was the only top market to underperform. Poland was the fastest-growing large car market in Europe and moved ahead of Belgium.
Electric Car Sales by Country in Europe in 2024 (First Half Year)
Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales per European country in the first half of 2024 were as follows:
| Country | BEV 1-6/2024 | BEV 1-6/23 | % |
| Austria | 22,178 | 23,372 | -5.1 |
| Belgium | 64,404 | 43,578 | 47.8 |
| Bulgaria | 871 | 871 | 0.0 |
| Croatia | 792 | 929 | -14.7 |
| Cyprus | 496 | 308 | 61.0 |
| Czechia | 4,146 | 2,992 | 38.6 |
| Denmark | 38,961 | 26,152 | 49.0 |
| Estonia | 649 | 644 | 0.8 |
| Finland | 10,569 | 15,301 | -30.9 |
| France | 158,402 | 137,919 | 14.9 |
| Germany | 184,125 | 220,244 | -16.4 |
| Greece | 3,341 | 3,212 | 4.0 |
| Hungary | 4,653 | 2,918 | 59.5 |
| Ireland | 10,738 | 14,307 | -24.9 |
| Italy | 34,932 | 32,660 | 7.0 |
| Latvia | 587 | 990 | -40.7 |
| Lithuania | 849 | 1,036 | -18.1 |
| Luxembourg | 6,437 | 5,284 | 21.8 |
| Malta | 1,331 | 579 | 129.9 |
| Netherlands | 60,338 | 57,940 | 4.1 |
| Poland | 8,861 | 8,497 | 4.3 |
| Portugal | 19,214 | 17,074 | 12.5 |
| Romania | 5,743 | 6,998 | -17.9 |
| Slovakia | 1,232 | 1,086 | 13.4 |
| Slovenia | 1,649 | 2,164 | -23.8 |
| Spain | 25,141 | 23,892 | 5.2 |
| Sweden | 41,998 | 52,445 | -19.9 |
| EUROPEAN UNION | 712,637 | 703,392 | 1.3 |
| Iceland | 956 | 3,921 | -75.6 |
| Norway | 52,018 | 55,275 | -5.9 |
| Switzerland | 21,387 | 23,164 | -7.7 |
| EFTA | 74,361 | 82,360 | -9.7 |
| United Kingdom | 167,096 | 152,968 | 9.2 |
| EU + EFTA + UK | 954,094 | 938,720 | 1.6 |
| Source: ACEA |
Germany, Britain, and France remained the largest country markets for electric cars in Europe during the first half of 2024. However, sales of BEV were sharply down in Germany, as subsidies were unexpectedly canceled in the final weeks of 2023. There has always been a suspicion that many of these subsidized vehicles are being sold as nearly-new in neighboring countries. Sales of electric cars were sharply up in both Belgium and Denmark while BEV sales in Sweden were down by a fifth. The Tesla Model Y remained the top-selling electric car in Europe in 2024 (Half Year) despite a steep decline in sales.
Europe Car Sales Statistics
→ Latest European Car Sales Statistics
- 2024: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October
- 2024 (Half Year): Car Sales by European Country, Top Brands, Top 25 Models
- Full-Year 2023: Car Sales by Country, Brands, Top 50 Models, Top 20 Electric Car Models
