The numbers finally flipped. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) outsold petrol cars in the European Union for the first time ever in December 2025, according to fresh data from ACEA released today.

But before you call it a tipping point, look closer at the breakdown.

The milestone: BEVs captured 22.6% of EU registrations in December, narrowly beating petrol’s 22.5%.
The context: Hybrids still dominate with 44% combined (33.7% HEV + 10.7% PHEV).
The asterisk: Analyst Matthias Schmidt says some of petrol’s decline is just reclassification to “mild hybrids.”

BEV registrations edged out petrol by 0.1 percentage points

Battery electric vehicles accounted for 22.6% of all cars registered in the EU last month, while petrol-only vehicles dropped to 22.5%, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). This is the first time BEVs have outsold pure petrol cars in a single month since ACEA began tracking the data.

The margin is razor-thin. One-tenth of a percentage point separates the two categories.

Gasoline-electric hybrids, including plug-in models, held the largest share at 44%. That puts electrified vehicles collectively at 67% of December registrations.

Tesla fell 20% while BYD surged 230%

Tesla registrations dropped 20.2% year-over-year in December across Europe, Britain, and the European Free Trade Association. BYD moved in the opposite direction, surging 229.7% over the same period.

This shift reflects the growing pressure from Chinese automakers. Competition from BYD, Changanund Geely is intensifying as domestic brands like Volkswagen und BMW scramble to roll out new EV models.

Tesla’s struggles in Europe have been mounting for months, while BYD continues its aggressive expansion across the continent.

Volkswagen und Stellantis registrations rose 10.2% and 4.5% respectively. Renault fell 2.2%.

Full-year 2025 data shows BEV share grew from 14% to 17%

For all of 2025, battery electric vehicles accounted for 17.4% of new passenger car registrations in the EU, up from 13.6% in 2024. Plug-in hybrids rose to 9.4% from 7.2%. Traditional hybrids grew to 34.5% from 30.9%.

Petrol’s share fell from 33.3% to 26.6%. Diesel dropped from 11.9% to 8.9%.

Electrified vehicles now account for 61% of total EU vehicle sales.

EU unveiled a plan to abandon the 2035 combustion ban

The European Union unveiled a plan in December to walk back its effective 2035 ban on combustion engine cars. The move came after sustained pressure from automakers struggling with Chinese competition, U.S. import tariffs, and the difficulty of selling EVs profitably.

This policy shift could slow the transition. Or it could simply acknowledge market reality.

Analysts expect five more years before BEVs truly dominate

Independent automotive analyst Matthias Schmidt warned against overreading the December data. He noted that some of the decline in petrol registrations reflects reclassification of vehicles as “mild hybrids,” which still run on petrol and contribute only modestly to emissions reductions.

“It will still take around half a decade before pure electric cars genuinely overtake combustion-engine models across the region, but this is nonetheless a start,” Schmidt said.

E-Mobility Europe’s Secretary General Chris Heron was more optimistic: “We’re seeing consumer buy-in to this. We’re confident that sales across Europe will continue to grow in 2026.”

EVXL’s Take

December’s crossover is symbolic, not structural. BEVs beat petrol by a tenth of a point in one month. Hybrids still control the largest slice of the market. And the EU just signaled it’s walking back the 2035 combustion ban.

The real story is China. BYD’s 230% surge while Tesla fell 20% shows where the competitive pressure is coming from. European automakers are feeling it. Policymakers are responding by loosening regulations. That’s not confidence in the EV transition — that’s fear of losing the market entirely.

As we reported in October, the PHEV boom suggests automakers are hedging their bets. Expect that trend to continue.

I expect BEV share to hit 20% by mid-2026 in monthly data. But full-year dominance over petrol? That’s still 2-3 years away, minimum. The hybrids aren’t going anywhere.

Editorial Note: This article was researched and drafted with the assistance of AI to ensure technical accuracy and archive retrieval. All insights, industry analysis, and perspectives were provided exclusively by Haye Kesteloo and our other EVXL authors, editors, and YouTube partners to ensure the “Human-First” perspective our readers expect.