Europe saw a significant boost in electric vehicle (EV) sales in the first quarter of 2025, with 847,591 new EVs hitting the roads, marking a 20% increase compared to the same period last year. This jump equates to over 141,000 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) compared to early 2024. BEVs led the charge, with registrations soaring by 28%, driving the overall market expansion.
Monthly Growth Trends
According to the latest figures from EV Volumes, March stood out as the strongest month for plug-in vehicle deliveries, posting a 22.3% rise. January also performed well, with a 20.7% increase, while February saw a steadier climb at 16.2%.
BEVs continued to dominate the market, further solidifying their presence. In the first three months of the year, BEVs accounted for 68.3% of all plug-in sales, an increase of 4.3 percentage points from the previous year. Meanwhile, the PHEV share dropped from 36% to 31.7%.
Top EV Markets
Germany remained Europe’s largest EV market, capturing 20.7% of all deliveries in Q1 2025. The UK followed closely behind, with 20.5%—just 1,761 units shy of overtaking Germany. France secured third place at 11.3%, while Belgium and the Netherlands held 6% and 5.7%, respectively.
Volkswagen Leads the Charge
Volkswagen (VW) became the top-selling EV brand in Europe this quarter, delivering an impressive 94,273 vehicles, its highest-ever quarterly total. This represents a staggering 161.2% year-on-year growth and secures VW an 11.1% market share, up 6 percentage points.
VW’s success was largely fueled by strong sales of its ID.3, ID.4, and ID.7 models, which together accounted for 60% of the company’s EV deliveries.
BMW took second place, with a 12.3% increase compared to Q1 2024. Despite its growth, BMW’s market share slipped slightly from 9.9% to 9.3%. The iX1 stood out with 14,379 registrations, complemented by strong demand for the X1 PHEV and 5-Series PHEV.
