The European car market faced a slow start to the year, with new car registrations declining by – 2.6% in January compared to the same period in 2024. Major markets, including France (-6.2%) , Italy (-5.8%) , and Germany (-2.8%) , recorded losses, while Spain was the only major country to show growth, with a 5.3% increase. Despite the overall decline, electric and hybrid vehicles continued to gain traction. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 15% of total sales , up from 10.9% a year ago, with 124,341 new units registered , marking a 34% increase. Germany led the surge with an impressive 53.5% rise, followed by Belgium (+37.2%) and the Netherlands (+28.2%). France was the only major market to see a slight decline, down – 0.5% . Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) remained the most popular choice among EU buyers, securing 34.9% market share and 290,014 registrations , an 18.4% increase from last year. France saw the biggest jump in hybrid sales with 52.2% growth, while Spain (+23.5%), Germany (+13.7%), and Italy (+10.6%) also posted strong gains. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), however, saw a downturn, with registrations falling – 8.5% to 61,406 units . Belgium (-66.6%) and France (-54%) recorded the sharpest declines, reducing PHEVs’ share to 7.4% of total sales. Meanwhile, petrol and diesel cars continued their downward trend. Petrol car registrations dropped – 18.9% , with France (-28.2%) , Germany (-23.7%) , Italy (-17%) , and Spain (-11.1%) all reporting declines. Petrol vehicles now make up 29.4% of the market , down from 35.4% a year ago. Diesel car sales fell even further, dropping – 27% , leaving them with just 10% market share . The shift towards electrification is becoming increasingly evident as traditional combustion-engine vehicles lose favour among EU consumers. With BEVs and HEVs gaining momentum, the car market is clearly moving toward a greener future, and the coming months will determine how quickly this transition accelerates. Full figures can be found here.