- Electric car sales within the European Union continue to rise, according to newly released data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
- 124,341 fully-electric cars were sold across the union in January 2025, marking a 34% rise over the number sold in January 2024. This sales figure means BEVs accounted for 15% of total car market share for the month.
- The rise in BEV sales comes as total sales in the EU car market (across all powertrain types) declines, and with BEV recently overtaking diesel in market share.
EV sales rise across the EU – with a few exceptions
As well as a rise in BEV units sold this January compared to January 2024, market share of BEVs also saw a rise – up to 15%, compared to 10.9% in January 2024. At the same time, market share of pure petrol and diesel models dropped – from 48.7% in January 2024 to 39.4% in January 2025.
Some particular EU countries saw impressive rises in EV sales year-on-year. In Denmark and Italy, for example, EV sales for January stood at 6,961 and 6,702 respectively, compared to 3,117 and 2,963 in January last year.
Despite the rise in EV sales across the union, there has been an exception to the rule. Despite the overall 34% rise, Tesla sales were down 50.3% in the EU for the first month of 2025 compared to 2024. This trend in reduced Tesla sales has already been spotted outside the EU, with the UK also registering a significant drop in Tesla sales – with Chinese newcomer BYD overtaking the firm in UK sales charts. With European consumers shunning Tesla’s brand image, will sales of its EVs continue to drop – or can it still make a comeback?
Overall, these figures paint a promising image for mass EV adoption in the EU – even if there are still hurdles to overcome. With the European Commission also considering introducing a bloc-wide purchase incentive scheme, these sales figures could be boosted even further this year.
