According to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), new battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales in the European Union dropped 11.3% year-on-year in March. This decline reflects the broader downturn in the overall European car market.
The ACEA report shows that total new car registrations in the EU fell 5.2% to 1 million units in March, negatively impacted by the earlier timing of the Easter holidays.
Regarding BEV sales, the three largest European markets saw a mixed performance. Belgium experienced a 23.8% increase in BEV uptake, while France saw a 10.9% rise. However, Germany recorded a significant 28.9% plunge in BEV registrations. As a result, the market share for all-electric cars shrank by 9 percentage points.
Demand for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) also declined, dropping 6.5% to 73,029 units. Germany and Belgium saw PHEV registrations fall 4.5% and 15.3% respectively, though France bucked the trend with a modest 3.6% increase.
In contrast, hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) sales continued to grow, rising 12.6% year-on-year in March. HEVs accounted for a market share of 29%, up from 24.4% in the same period last year.
The data highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the European automotive industry, with the BEV and PHEV segments experiencing a downturn while hybrid electric vehicles maintain their growth trajectory.
