EVs made up 21% of European Union registrations in November — one in every five vehicles sold.
The figures represent a surge of 44% compared to the same month last year, according to data published Tuesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
The ACEA shows that Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France are the four largest markets for electric vehicles in Europe.
Together, they represent 62% of all fully electric vehicle registrations. Germany alone saw an increase of 41.3% in battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales last month.
In the first eleven months of the year, new electric vehicles registered in the EU accounted for 16.9% of the total market, an increase of 3.5 percentual points from a year ago.
EV Adoption in Europe
When including the UK and EFTA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland), the year-over-year growth of BEV sales in November was slightly down at 37.3%.
However, the segment represented a larger share in the market — 23.5% of total new car sales, driven by EV sales in the UK and Norway.
In November, eleven EU countries had a battery electric vehicle (BEV) adoption rate above 20%, a number that rises to sixteen when including the UK and EFTA countries, all of which also exceed the threshold.
The highest rates were registered in Denmark, where 73.7% of all vehicle sales were fully electric last month, and Norway, where they reached 84.6%.
EV Incentives Wind Down
In mid-2022, the European Parliament voted on an effective ban on the sale of new combustion engine vehicles from 2035.
However, three years later, the European Commission backtracked on the goal, marking a dramatic reversal of the bloc’s climate policy following pressure from several Member States (namely Germany and Italy) and major automakers (such as Mercedes and BMW).
At the same time, internal policies in several countries are changing.
Norway, where over 95% of new vehicle sales are now electric, has announced it will reduce subsidies next year, as it reached its goal of having all vehicle sales be fully electric by the end of 2025.
In contrast, Spain is introducing new incentives for electric vehicles, while Germany has reinstated subsidies after having abruptly ended them at the close of 2022.
BYD Sales Triple
Despite the impact of tariffs imposed by the European Commission (currently under renegotiation), Chinese automakers are rapidly expanding in Europe.
BYD sells both fully electric and hybrid models in Europe (hybrids are exempt from the duties) and continues to triple its sales year over year each month.
In November, the Shenzhen-based company sold 16,158 vehicles in the EU, bringing its total for the first eleven months of 2025 to 110,715 units.
This is just slightly below SAIC Motor, which leads the Chinese vehicle segment in Europe. Last month, primarily through its MG brand, SAIC sold 17,067 vehicles in the EU.
Data on other Chinese competitors — including XPeng or the Stellantis-backed Leapmotor, among others — is not broken down by ACEA.
Tesla Sales Extend Decline
The only pure EV maker included in the data published by ACEA, Tesla, continues to see its registrations decline all over Europe.
From the beginning of 2025, the Elon Musk-led company saw sales drop to 203,382 vehicles, nearly 80,000 units below the same period last year, representing a 28% tumble.
In the EU specifically, registrations plunged 38.8% year over year in the first eleven months of 2025.
Tesla sold 129,024 vehicles so far this year, of which 12,130 were registered in November. They represent a 34.2% drop year over year.
Including the UK and the EFTA countries, specifically Norway where Tesla is a best-seller, the decline is only 11.8% — with 22,801 electric vehicles registered.
The company set a 2-year registration record in Norway last month, with 6,215 vehicles sold.
Volkswagen Group Extends Lead
The Volkswagen Group, which includes brands from premium Porsche and Audi to more affordable Skoda and Seat/Cupra, remained the leading automaker in sales throughout Europe.
The German-based company saw registrations rise by 4% in November, both within the EU and when including the UK and EFTA countries.
Last month, its vehicles accounted for about 28% of the total European vehicle market (both including and excluding UK and EFTA countries), which is roughly in line with its year-to-date market share (of 27% and 28%, respectively).
