2025 (April): New passenger vehicle registrations in Europe were flat but sales of electric cars increased with the Skoda Elroq the top-selling BEV model and the Renault Clio Europe’s favorite car model overall.
The European new car market remained flat with sales in April 2025, like the first four months of the year, hardly different from a year ago. Battery-electric car sales increased by a strong 28% with all-electric cars taking a 17% share of the European new car market. The Volkswagen Group was the largest carmaker in Europe with VW the leading brand and best-selling electric car brand. BYD all-electric cars outsold Tesla for the first time ever in Europe. The top-selling electric car model was the Skoda Elroq, while the Renault Clio was Europe’s favorite car model overall for the first time in five years.
Latest European Car Market Statistics: 2025: January, February, March, (Q1), April; 2024 (Full Year): Market, By Country, Electric, Brands, Top 50 Models, Top 20 Electric Models; 2023-2007.
European New Car Market in April 2025
According to JATO Dynamics’ data for 28 European nations (EU, EFTA, UK), new passenger vehicle registrations increased by a modest 0.1% to 1,078,521 new car sales in April 2025. This was only 1,399 vehicles more than were sold in Europe in April 2024.
Year-to-date 2025 registrations in Europe were 4,467,681 vehicles, or just 6,560 more than during the same period of 2024.
In contrast to the general European new car market, electrified vehicle sales increase sharply. In April 2025, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) combined accounted for 26% of new car registrations in Europe, a new record. All-electric BEVs had a 17% market share, up from a low 13.4% in April 2024, while plug-in hybrids represented 9% of monthly registrations, up from 6.9%.
“While the electric vehicle segment was a bright spot for Europe’s new passenger car market last month, these gains were offset by significant declines among ICE vehicles. EV sales need to grow much faster to have a genuine impact on the wider European car market,” said Felipe Munoz, Global Analyst at JATO Dynamics.
Best-Selling Car Producers and Brands in Europe in 2025 (April)
According to JATO’s new car sales statistics, the top-selling car manufacturing groups in Europe in April 2025 were:
The Volkswagen Group remained by far the largest carmaker in Europe in April 2025. However, sales were flat, as was the case for Stellantis, Renault, and Hyundai-Kia. Toyota and Geely struggled while BMW and SAIC had stronger sales.
Of the larger carmakers in Europe, Volkswagen and BMW had significant all-electric car sales while also selling large numbers of plug-in hybrid vehicles. Mercedes-Benz and BMW still had a large percentage of diesel car sales.
Growth in Car Sales from Chinese Carmakers in Europe in 2025
Tariffs imposed by the European Union on electric vehicles made in China earlier in 2025 had an initial negative impact on the sales of Chinese automakers, forcing these carmakers to look for other solutions. Many of its carmakers selling cars in Europe have since expanded and diversified their European line-up with the introduction of plug-in hybrids, which have not yet been targeted by EU tariffs.
“China is not only the world leader in BEVs; its automakers are global leaders in plug-in hybrid vehicles too. To gain traction in Europe, its carmakers have responded to the threat posed by tariffs by focusing on other powertrains, such as plug-in hybrids, to maintain the momentum behind their global expansion plans,” Munoz added.
Registrations of electric cars made by Chinese automakers in April 2025 rose by 59% year on year, reaching almost 15,300 units. Within this segment, carmakers from Europe, Japan, Korea, and the US recorded an increase of only 26%.
The PHEV segment saw a notable development, as volumes from Chinese players increased by 546% year on year, from 1,493 units in April 2024 to 9,649 units in April 2025, meaning Chinese car brands now account for almost 10% of the total number of PHEVs registered in Europe.
Best-Selling Electric Cars in Europe in April 2025
According to JATO, the top-selling brands of all-electric cars and the best-selling BEV electric car models in Europe in April 2025 were:
Volkswagen was the best-selling electric car brand in Europe in April 2025, followed by BMW. VW-owned Skoda (and Audi) also made strong gains in the BEV market in Europe.
Arguably, the most interesting data was BYD outselling Tesla for the first time ever in Europe taking only all-electric car sales into account. Tesla reported another dismal monthly drop in sales in Europe in April 2025, with total volumes down 49%. I
n contrast, BYD saw an increase of 359% over the same period thanks to its broad and competitive lineup of fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. BYD’s rapid expansion has already pushed it ahead of established European car brands – outselling Fiat, Dacia, and Seat in the UK; Fiat and Seat in France; Seat in Italy; and Fiat in Spain. This growth comes even before production begins at its new plant in Hungary.
“Although the difference between the two brands’ monthly sales totals may be small, the implications are enormous. This is a watershed moment for Europe’s car market, particularly when you consider that Tesla has led the European BEV market for years, while BYD only officially began operations beyond Norway and the Netherlands in late 2022,” Munoz noted.
Top-Selling Electric Car Models in Europe in April 2025
In April 2025, the Skoda Elroq was the most popular all-electric car model in Europe. It vindicated the VW-owned brand’s decision to launch the Elroq in an SUV size between the traditional B and C segments.
The Elroq was followed by three Volkswagen models: the ID3, ID7, and ID4. The new Kia EV3 and Renault 5 also had strong performances.
In contrast, the Tesla Model Y slipped to 9th place with sales more than halved. Only the Volvo EX30 had a weaker performance. The Tesla Model 3 slipped to 24th with sales down 41%.
Although BYD outsold Tesla, BYD sales were spread over several models, with none selling in high enough volumes to enter the top 25.
Top Ten Best-Selling Car Models in Europe in April 2025
The ten top-selling car models in Europe in April 2025 were:
The Renault Clio was Europe’s best-selling car model in April 2025, with 19,000 units of the French subcompact registered. The Clio has not led the model rankings since June 2020. However, the Dacia Sandero remains Europe’s best-seller thus far in 2025.
However, the standout performer of the month was arguably the Volkswagen Tiguan, in fourth position, with registrations up by 32% to 16,300 units. In contrast, VW Golf and T-Roc sales were sharply down. Other strong performers include the Toyota Yaris Cross, Dacia Duster, Opel/Vauxhall Corsa, Peugeot 3008, Jeep Avenger, and Mini Cooper.
Of the top ten most popular car models in Europe, only the Peugeot 208 and Citroen C3 had significant electric-only sales.
Europe Car Sales Statistics
→ Latest European Car Sales Statistics
- 2025 Market Analysis: January, February, March, April
- 2025 (Q1): Car Sales by Country, Best-Selling Brands, Electric Cars
- 2025 (Outlook) Europe: Car and Electric Car Sales Forecasts
- 2024 (Full Year): Market Analysis, Car Sales by Country, Electric Sales by Country, Best-Selling Brands, Top 50 Models, Top 20 Electric Models
- 2024: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
- Full-Year 2023: Car Sales by Country, Brands, Top 50 Models, Top 20 Electric Car Models
