European car registrations steady in October as EV mix grows
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European car registrations continued to rise in October, according to fresh data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). By October 2025 year-to-date, EU registrations rose 1.4% compared with the same period last year, marking a fourth consecutive month of growth.
For eeNews Europe readers, the updated powertrain mix provides another signal of how quickly engineering priorities are shifting toward power electronics, control systems and charging infrastructure across upcoming platforms.
Electrified powertrains expand share across the EU
ACEA’s data indicate a gradual but consistent shift toward electrified vehicles. Battery-electric cars accounted for 16.4% of the EU market by October, up from 13.2% in the same period of 2024. Hybrid-electric models remained the largest single category, reaching 34.6% of new registrations. Plug-in hybrids represented 9.1% of the market, up from 7% a year earlier.
Growth in battery-electric volumes was supported by increases in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and France. Hybrid-electric registrations also rose in all major markets, with Spain, France, Germany and Italy showing double-digit gains. Plug-in hybrids saw particularly strong increases in Spain, Italy and Germany.
Electrified powertrains now collectively represent more than half of EU new-car registrations. For Tier-1 suppliers and semiconductor vendors, this potentially points to more stable demand for traction inverters, battery management systems, high-efficiency DC-DC stages and sensing architectures aligned with higher-voltage platforms.
Combustion models lose further ground
Petrol and diesel cars continued to contract. Petrol registrations fell 18.3% year-on-year in the first ten months of 2025, while diesel declined 24.5%, reducing their combined market share to 36.6%, down from 46.3% the year before. Major markets saw double-digit drops, with France showing the steepest fall in petrol sales.
ACEA notes that overall volumes remain well below pre-pandemic levels. “The battery-electric car market share reached 16.4% YTD, yet it is still below the pace needed at this stage of the transition,” the association states, signalling that even with the gains recorded through October, electrification may need to accelerate further to align with policy targets.
As OEMs balance cost-down initiatives and compliance requirements, powertrain and thermal system roadmaps for the 2026–2028 model cycle may become increasingly dependent on these registration trends.
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