Europe EV Sales — Record Month!

---

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe.

Or support our Kickstarter campaign!

---

---

BEVs reach 28% market share!

EVs had another strong month in Europe, with a record 453,000 plugin vehicles being registered in Europe in December, blasting through the previous record set three years before, 412,000 units.

Of those 453,000 units registered in December, 327,000 of them were BEVs, with pure electrics jumping 57% YoY. That was their highest growth rate in over two years. PHEVs were also up, by 34% YoY, thanks to 126,000 units registered.

Overall, plugin vehicles were up 50% YoY, their highest growth rate since 2023. A good omen for 2026?

The overall auto market also posted a positive result in December, with sales up 8% YoY. That is in no small part thanks to plugins, which were the only powertrains showing significant growth. Are we past the worst of the Valley of Death in the EV transition?

Looking at December’s powertrain breakdown, it sure seems so — petrol (down 18% YoY, to 25% share) and diesel (down 23% YoY, to 5% share) continue their descent, and plugins continue on the rise. BEVs rose 57% to 28% share, while PHEVs were up 34% to 11% share.

Finally, the most relevant fact regarding powertrains regards HEVs. We already knew that diesel and petrol were in steep declines, but it seems that plugless hybrids could soon follow them.

After all, 2025 has shown that it could be the peak HEV year in Europe. True, plugless hybrids still grew in December (+5% YoY), but the month was still below the market average (+8% YoY). The growth rate in November was far below the yearly average in 2025 (13%), and its December market share (31%) was lower than what it had 12 months ago. So, it looks like HEVs will start losing share in 2026 compared to 2025.

Looking at the full year numbers, the 2025 share for BEVs was at 20% (29% for PHEVs and BEVs combined), which compares positively with the shares of 12 months ago, as both BEVs (20% now vs. 15% then) and PHEVs (9% now vs. 7% then) are on the way up.

Looking at the best selling models, there was a close race between three models (Skoda Elroq, Renault 5/Alpine A290, and Tesla Model 3), for the 2nd position, which ended with all three models separated by just 700 units. In its peak month, the Tesla Model 3 couldn’t do much to prevent two record-setting models from reaching the podium position.

Here’s a more detailed analysis of the top 5 EVs this month:

#1 Tesla Model Y — The US crossover was down 21% YoY, but that was still enough to win another monthly title in December, thanks to 22,580 registrations. The Tesla sales champion is expected to have another good year in 2026, and I believe it will still be the top candidate to win the title, but unlike in the past four years, this won’t be a walk in the park … and 2026 will probably be the last European title for this generation Model Y, as in 2027 the competition will (finally) be ready to leave the midsizer behind.

#2 Renault 5 (inc. Alpine A290) — Renault’s star player scored another record month, thanks to 12,893 sales, the 3rd record performance in a row for the iconic hatchback. So, having reached 92,000 units in 2025, will it reach 100,000 units in 2026? Hmm … doubt it. No matter how attractive the 5 is, the truth is that in 2026, its space in the market will be squeezed not only by external competition (VW ID.Polo, Cupra Raval, etc.), but also internal competition, with the equally cute new Twingo stealing sales from below and the appealing 4 crossover doing the same from above. And let’s not forget the upcoming Nissan Micra, which is basically a Renault 5 in a Kenzo suit….

#3 Skoda Elroq — The Elroq won another top 5 presence in December, thanks to 13,384 registrations, a new record for the Czech EV. Looking into 2026, while the first half of 2026 might see the Elroq chase the Model Y, later in the year, we should see it lose pace as the new family of small crossovers from Volkswagen Group (VW ID.Cross, Skoda Epiq) start to be deployed. Will it be able to keep its podium position next year? Possibly, but that won’t be a given, as the competition, both internal and external, will make a dent in its sales.

#4 Tesla Model 3 — Tesla’s original sales champion this time was left off of the podium in its peak month, thanks to record performances from two of its direct competitors, the Skoda Elroq and Renault 5, as well ass steep sales drops. The midsizer delivered just 12,135 registrations in December, a disappointing 21% drop compared to December 2024. As for its 2026 prospects … if its sales do not drop more than 5% YoY, that will already be considered a good result.

#5 VW ID.4 — VW’s star player managed to win another top 5 presence, thanks to 10,338 registrations in December, an 84% improvement over last year’s performance and its best result since June 2023, which is actually a surprisingly good performance for a model set for a deep refresh during 2026. And a name change. Instead of ID.4, the refreshed model will be called ID.Tiguan and will offer refreshed styling and updated specs, with much-awaited LFP batteries finally joining the range of options. Does this mean that the Volkswagen crossover will return to the podium? Maybe, but with 2026 being a transitional year, we should only know for good about the volume potential of the new ID.Tiguan in 2027.

Outside the top 5, in a market experiencing Record Mode, record scores were aplenty, with 9 out of the top 20 models in December posting record results.

As such, besides the aforementioned Renault 5 and Skoda Elroq, seven other models placed record scores, with a key highlight being the #8 VW ID.7 reaching 8,904 units, in what could be seen as a warning to the Tesla Model 3. The big German sedan/wagon combo is certainly hoping to surpass it in 2026.

Still in Volkswagen Group’s orbit, both the Audi Q4 (8,197 units) and Q6 (7,874 units) scored record results, while the Ford Explorer EV, an MEB-based crossover, also scored a record result, thanks to 6,096 sales, providing the Dearborn-based brand some much needed volume.

In #10, the BMW iX1 also scored a record result, thanks to 8,220 sales, and if we were to add the PHEV units of the X1 to the tally, the German crossover would be 5th on the plugin table. Not bad….

But it’s in the last positions of the table that things get really interesting. BYD placed not one but two new representatives on the table, with the small BYD Dolphin Surf in #18, thanks to 5,705 sales, its fourth record month in a row, while in the lowest position of the table, we have the BYD Sealion 07, a sort of posh version of the BYD Seal U, which joined the top 20 for the first time thanks to 5,219 sales. This meant BYD placed three models in the top 20 — no small feat, as only Volvo and Volkswagen also placed three representantives.

Thanks to a diverse and talented lineup, BYD is ramping up deliveries every passing month. Expect it to become a popular brand in Europe, not only on the EV market, but on the wider overall market.

Outside the top 20, the highlights were also plentiful. Looking at the full size category, both leaders went into the record zone, with the BMW i5 (3,232 units) and Audi A6 e-tron (4,418 units) benefitting from the wagon bodies to reach new record highs. In the case of the Beemer, if we were to add the PHEV units of the 5 Series, the total tally would be 5,354 units, which would allow it to reach the table, at #18.

As for the midsize category, the highlights belong to three very different models, starting with the Model Y-chasing Xpeng G6, which scored a record 3,009 registrations. Toyota also pulled the refreshed BZ4X SUV into record territory, thanks to 3,930 registrations. Meanwhile, the Polestar 4 pushed boundaries, delivering a best ever score of 5,146 units.

Despite its quirkiness, the 4 SUV-coupe-thingy has struck a chord in buyers, providing a lifeline to the brand, especially since the 2 fastback is fast showing its age and the 3 SUV never really caught on. So, with the 4 being responsible for 78% of all Polestar sales this December, has the Sino-Swedish brand found its place in the market as the maker of quirky vehicles in this class for those looking for individuality? A sort of other side of the coin to Volvo’s no-nonsense philosophy? Or more directly:

Is Polestar the Saab of the electric era?

In the compact category, the Renault Scenic confirmed the French make’s good moment, scoring a record result — 5,123 registrations. The Billancourt make actually had three models with best ever scores in December. Besides the aforementioned Renault 5 and Scenic, the Renault 4 small crossover production ramp-up is starting to reach relevant levels, with the straight-faced EV having delivered 3,049 units in December.

On the smaller scale, the Mini Aceman also secured a record result, thanks to 3,343 registrations, and is now the best selling electric Mini, beating the Cooper and the Countryman. Meanwhile, Leapmotor’s tiny T03 continues to ramp up deliveries, with the 3,756 units of December being its second record result in a row — and allowing the small EV to outsell the Fiat 500 (3,384 units). It lost out only to the discount-friendly Dacia Spring (4,001 units).

It will be interesting to see how fast and how well the new Renault Twingo ramps up, in order to know if Renault will be able to add the A-segment leadership to its current B-segment lead thanks to the Renault 5.

Looking at the 2025 ranking, the podium remained unchanged, but compared to last year, there were significant changes.

While the Tesla Model Y won its fourth title in a row, the remaining podium positions have new faces. The Surprise of the Year Skoda Elroq stole the silver medal from the competition, while the Renault 5/Alpine A290 duo took bronze. This is Renault’s first podium position since 2021, when the Zoe last showed up there. Coincidentally, it was also the last time that a B-segment vehicle made its presence on the podium….

This all meant that the Tesla Model 3 was 4th and thus kicked off of the podium for the first time since 2018(!), and that last year’s bronze medalist, the Skoda Enyaq, was also relegated to lower positions, in this case to 8th.

Although it revalidated the title, the Tesla Model Y saw its sales dwindle for the second year in a row, and with no major changes expected for 2026, expect the crossover to continue losing sales throughout the year, potentially placing its leadership position at risk.

The thing is … its two most direct competitors right now, the Renault 5 and Skoda Elroq, will have much more competition to deal with in 2026, so their potential for growth will be limited.

Talking about the Texan sedan, going into its 9th year on the market, expect the sales slide to continue, possibly getting surpassed by the BYD Seal U and VW ID.7.

Elsewhere, there were four position changes, all at the expense of PHEV models — the VW ID.4 climbed to 5th, surpassing the BYD Seal U, the Audi Q4 e-tron ended the year at #12, ahead of the Volvo XC60 PHEV, and the Audi Q6 e-tron surpassed the VW Tiguan PHEV.

Finally, the Ford Explorer EV joined the table, at #17, kicking the Toyota C-HR PHEV off the table. At the same time, it ended ahead of the Ford Kuga PHEV, which ended the year at #19.

Looking at electrification in several size categories, the general trend continues — the bigger they are, the more electrified they get.

The Tesla Model Y comfortably leads the midsize pack, followed by two ICE models (Mercedes GLC and Skoda Kodiaq) that have a fair degree of electrification (around 30% of their sales belong to their PHEV versions). Meanwhile, the Tesla Model 3 was removed from the podium.

In the full size category (E-segment), while there aren’t any pure EVs on the podium, all the ICE leaders (BMW 5 Series, Mercedes E-Class, and BMW X5) have half their sales coming from their respective PHEV versions.

And if we were to add the BMW i5 to the BMW 5 Series tally, then two thirds of the 5 Series sales would have a plug.

The smaller categories are less electrified, though.

ICE models still rule the remaining charts, with the only category with a sizable degree of electrification being the compact category (C-segment), where the #2 and #3 models, the VW Tiguan and VW Golf, have some 20% of their sales coming from their PHEV versions.

Cars like the original Fiat Panda, the Dacia Sandero, and Renault Clio need to have BEV versions in order for smaller categories to really be significantly electrified.

Having a quick look at the 2025 overall brand ranking, the makes remained somewhat stable, with the exceptions being Tesla going down (-27% YoY) from #16 in 2024 to #20 in 2025. MG jumped 26% YoY, and was up from #20 in 2024 to #16 in 2025. The highlight, thoough, was BYD, surging 276% YoY from #31 in 2024 to its new position at #22. Expect it to surpass Tesla in 2026, and quite a few more on the way….

Funny enough, while Tesla is down sharply in a time that BEVs are growing fast, fellow US make Ford grew by 5% in Europe, keeping its 12th spot on the European ranking…. What are the major differences between the two? One has new models to show, the other doesn’t, and one has a CEO, while the other….

As for the plugin auto brand ranking, the leader, Volkswagen, remained firm (11%), and broke a three-year Tesla reign in Europe (2022, 2023, 2024). It thus won its first manufacturer title since 2021.

Second was BMW, which lost 0.1% share in December and ended at 8.5%. (This was the 4th time in a row that the Bavarian make ended the year in the runner-up position.) Expect BMW to continue on the podium in 2026, in no small part thanks to the much anticipated iX3.

Mercedes took the 3rd position, with 6.8% share, and hopes to keep that position this year thanks to a series of fresh metal: GLC, GLB, CLA, C-Class.

As for Tesla, the Texan automaker kept its #4 spot, with 6.1% share. Not bad, but … we are talking about the trophy holder. The end of an era?

Below Tesla, Audi (5.6%, up 0.2% in December) surpassed both Skoda and Volvo in the last stage of the race and secured the 5th position, but with #8 BYD rising fast, Audi will have trouble keeping the Shenzhen make out of the top 5.

The same can be said about #9 Renault, so both Tesla and Audi could end up kicked out of the top 5 in 2026. And don’t forget Skoda….

Arranging things by automotive group, Volkswagen Group won another title, and with 27.7% share, it not only increased its share significantly compared to 2024 (it had 21.9% then), but it also now has a market share that is comparable to BYD’s in China and Tesla’s in the USA. This is an important metric for the German conglomerate if it wants to stay relevant in a fully electrified global automotive market. If you can’t win at home….

BMW Group (10.2%) remained comfortable in the runner-up position, winning another silver medal, while Stellantis (8.3%) won the bronze medal, passing up Tesla, which was in fact kicked out of the top 5 in 2025.

Finally, there was a last-minute change. Geely (7.6%) surpassed Hyundai–Kia (7.5%, down 0.2% compared to November), with the Chinese conglomerate surpassing the Korean OEM in the last stage of the race.