Historic: EU EV Sales Overtake Petrol for First Time

In December 2025, more electric cars were sold in the EU than petrol cars for the first time. With 217,900 EV registrations compared to 216,500 petrol vehicles — a market share of 22.6% versus 22.5% — this marks a historic turning point for the European car market. The figures, published by industry association ACEA on January 27, 2026, confirm that the electric transition is accelerating.

The numbers in perspective

The December figures are impressive: EV sales rose 51% compared to December 2024, while petrol sales dropped 19.2%. However, the monthly figure doesn't tell the whole story.

Looking at 2025 as a whole, petrol (still) remains the largest category:

Powertrain	Market Share 2025
Petrol	26.6%
Hybrid (HEV)	33.7%
Fully electric	17.4%
Plug-in hybrid	6.8%

Hybrids dominated the year with over a third of market share. But the trend is clear: every month, electric gains ground at the expense of fossil fuels.

The Netherlands leads the way

The Netherlands ranks among Europe's leaders. In 2025, 40.2% of all newly sold cars were fully electric — up from 34.6% in 2024. A total of 156,139 electric cars were registered.

The end-of-year sprint was particularly strong:

• November 2025: 48.3% EV market share (highest ever)
• December 2025: +32% sales vs December 2024

Notable: Tesla saw sales drop 44% to 16,703 units, while BYD grew to 4,370 cars sold — over 1,000 more than in 2024.

Most popular models

The Skoda Elroq became the best-selling model in the Netherlands in 2025. Kia led the brand rankings with approximately 38,000 registrations, thanks largely to the popular EV3 and EV6.

What does this mean for Dutch buyers?

More choice, better prices

The growing EV lineup creates increasing competition. This translates to:

• More competitively priced models
• More variants in the affordable segment (€25,000-€35,000)
• More aggressive lease offers

Company car tax remains attractive

For business drivers, company car tax (bijtelling) on electric vehicles remains more favorable than on petrol or diesel cars. In 2026, 17% taxation applies to EVs under €30,000 and 22% above — still lower than the 22% for fossil vehicles.

Use the TCO calculator to calculate what this means for your situation.

EU manufacturer results

Major manufacturers saw mixed results in December:

Manufacturer	December 2025 Growth
Volkswagen	+10.2%
Stellantis	+4.5%
Renault	-2.2%
Tesla	-20.2%
BYD	+229.7%

BYD's spectacular growth comes from a small base, but demonstrates the rapid rise of Chinese manufacturers in Europe.

Compare and calculate

Curious which EV suits you as the selection grows?

• Compare electric vehicles
• Calculate your total cost of ownership
• View the Skoda Elroq
• View the Kia EV3

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This article is based on reporting from Reuters and ACEA.