Electric and hybrid vehicle sales powered European auto market growth in April, while traditional gas and diesel car purchases declined, according to new data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association released Wednesday.
Vehicle registrations across the European Union, Britain and the European Free Trade Association climbed 7% in April to reach 1,152,315 units. For the first four months of the year, total registrations were up 4.8% compared to the same period last year.
Electric vehicles, including battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid models, saw registrations jump approximately 21% and accounted for more than two-thirds of all vehicle registrations. Meanwhile, gasoline and diesel vehicle sales dropped roughly 15% and 17% respectively.
The data reinforces how government incentives, subsidies and rising fuel prices are steering consumers toward cleaner vehicles, particularly in Europe’s largest automotive markets.
This transition is also changing the competitive landscape among car manufacturers.
Tesla saw its third consecutive month of recovery, with April registrations climbing 46.5% to 10,654 units following more than a year of sales declines. However, the American electric vehicle maker still trailed China’s BYD, which recorded a 114.5% surge to 27,008 vehicle registrations.
Chinese manufacturer Chery experienced explosive growth with registrations soaring about 322%. Traditional automakers showed varying performance: Volkswagen increased 3.5%, Stellantis gained 6.7%, Bayerische Motoren Werke rose 2.4% and Mercedes-Benz grew 7%, while Renault dropped 3.6%.
During the first four months of 2024, Italy, France and Germany emerged as the strongest markets for battery-electric vehicles, posting registration increases of approximately 73%, 48% and 41% respectively.
