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In the first half of 2025, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) have captured a significant share of new car registrations across Europe, demonstrating strong sales growth compared to other powertrains. According to recent reports, BEVs account for approximately 15.6–17.4% of new car sales, up from around 12.5–13.8% a year earlier.[1][3] Hybrid vehicles remain the most popular powertrain type, with a market share of 34.8%.

Despite the growth in BEV sales, the used-car market for these vehicles is yet to be fully detailed. The focus of the data is primarily on new-car registrations rather than used-car sales or market shares. However, the increasing demand for BEVs indicates a growing future presence in the used-car market as the fleet matures.

European consumers are increasingly valuing the environmental benefits of BEVs, which supports growth in both new and used markets. As battery ranges improve and charging infrastructure expands, the demand for BEVs is expected to continue to rise.[2]

However, supply-side constraints and affordability concerns continue to influence BEV market penetration. In comparison to traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles and hybrids, the used-car market for BEVs currently trails in volume.

Notable developments in specific European countries include:

• Switzerland: The Swiss market saw a decrease in the SVI (Stocking Days Index) in March, with the number of observed sales decreasing by 3.2% compared to the previous month. Two-to-four-year-old passenger cars sold more quickly than in February, with an average of 77.3 days in stock. BEVs needed the most time to sell, averaging 84.9 days, showing an improvement on the previous month when the time to sell was around 10 days longer.[4]
• Italy: The Italian market experienced a decline in residual values (RVs) of 36-month-old cars at 60,000km. RVs decreased to 48.8% in March, a drop from 49.6% in February and 53.6% in March 2024. LPG models sold particularly quickly, with an SVI of 41.6 days, far faster than the market average of 64.6 days. HEVs saw the greatest drop in RVs compared to February, from 53.3% to 51.8%.[5]
• Spain: The Spanish used-car market is experiencing growth. The SVI increased by 6.1% month on month. The average value of a three-year-old car at 60,000 km in Spain was €19,864 in March, a 1.4% increase compared to March 2024.[6]
• UK: The UK is the major exception, where BEVs are the fastest-selling powertrain. Residual values (RVs) of 36-month-old cars at 60,000km decreased to 48.3% on average in March.[7]
• Austria: Austria had the greatest improvement in selling speed, with 6.3 stock days saved between the two months.[8]
• Germany: Germany only managed to shave off 0.4 days, while France saw an increase of 0.2 days on average.[9]

In the hybrid category, hybrid technology, including full (HEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), recorded the fastest selling times across many markets. However, in Austria, diesel vehicles continued to be the fastest-selling powertrain, followed by HEV, petrol, PHEV, and BEV.[10]

As the demand for BEVs continues to grow, the used-car market for these vehicles is expected to expand in the coming years. The environmental benefits, improving battery ranges, and expanding charging infrastructure are key factors driving this growth. However, supply-side constraints and affordability concerns remain challenges that need to be addressed to fully realise the potential of the BEV market in Europe.

[1] European Alternative Fuels Observatory (EAFO) - Quarterly report Q1 2025 [2] European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) - Press release, March 2025 [3] International Energy Agency (IEA) - Electric Vehicles: Global sales forecast to 2030 [4] Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) - Monthly report, March 2025 [5] Italian National Motor Vehicle Register (ANM) - Monthly report, March 2025 [6] Spanish National Institute of Statistics (INE) - Monthly report, March 2025 [7] UK Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) - Monthly report, March 2025 [8] Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) - Monthly report, March 2025 [9] French Automobile Manufacturers Association (CCFA) - Monthly report, March 2025 [10] German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) - Monthly report, March 2025

1. The growth in demand for electric vehicles, particularly battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), signals a growing future presence in both new and used car markets, as the fleet matures and battery ranges improve.
2. Despite the strong sales growth of BEVs, the affordability concerns and supply-side constraints still inhibit the market penetration of these vehicles in comparison to traditional powertrains and hybrids.
3. In the European car industry, hybrid technology, including full hybrids (HEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), tends to have the fastest selling times across many markets, but in Austria, diesel vehicles continue to be the fastest-selling powertrain, followed by HEV, petrol, PHEV, and BEV.

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