Hybrid Sales Boom In Europe While EVs And PHEVs Lose Market Share

November was a tough month for the European car market, as sales of BEVs, plug-in hybrids, petrol and diesel cars all fell significantly. The only powertrain configuration to record an increase in sales was hybrids, once again highlighting the market’s shift.

Across the European Union, new vehicle sales dropped by 1.9% in November to approximately 1.06 million units. This was due in part to a sharp 12.7% decline in sales in France in addition to a 10.8% drop in Italy. Sales in Germany stagnated, rising by a mere 0.5%. Spain was the only one of the four largest markets in the EU to post a sales increase, which was recorded at 6.4%.

Read: EV Sales Sink 22% In Germany, Tesla Crashes 55%, But Hybrids Gain 20% In November

Traditional hybrids are now the most popular powertrain choice in the region, accounting for 33.2% of all new sales. This is up from a 27.5% market share in November last year, representing an 18.5% increase. Petrol-powered cars were knocked off top position, and whereas they accounted for 32.5% of sales last year, that figure has now slipped to a 30.6% market share.

window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: ‘thumbnails-a-mid’,
container: ‘taboola-mid-article’,
placement: ‘Mid Article’,
target_type: ‘mix’
});

window._taboola = window._taboola || [];
_taboola.push({
mode: ‘thumbnails-oc-2×1’,
container: ‘taboola-mid-article-thumbnails-organic’,
placement: ‘Mid Article Thumbnails Organic’,
target_type: ‘mix’
});

Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association reveals petrol sales dropped 7.8% in November. France recorded the most significant drop at 31.5%. Sales also fell by 12.3% in Italy, 5.3% in Germany, and 2.3% in Spain.

While many had expected 2024 to be the year of the EV, that hasn’t been the case in Europe. In November, EV sales fell 9.5% to 130,757 units, primarily because of a 21.8% decline in Germany and a 24.4% fall in France. They now account for 15% of the market, down from 16.3% in November 2023.

Sales for diesel vehicles also dropped by 15.3%, reducing their market share from 12.3% to 10.6%. Plug-in hybrid vehicle sales also fell by 8.8%. They now account for 7.6% of the market.

A breakdown of sales by carmaker shows that some brands have had a better year than others. For example, VW’s sales across the January-November period in the EU are up 2.2%, while Renault’s have increased by 1.9% to 1,152,424. Toyota was among the best-performing carmakers, with a big jump in sales by 12.4%.

By comparison, Stellantis sales have fallen 7.4%, and Hyundai Motor Group’s sales are down 4.4%. Some other brands have also posted notable drops, including Ford (-17.3%), Mazda (-6.6%), and Jaguar (-5.9%).