European new car registrations expanded notably in March, rising 11.1% from a year earlier to reach 1.58 million units, according to industry data published on Thursday. The increase was overwhelmingly driven by battery-electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.
Battery-electric vehicles posted a 41.7% jump in registrations, while hybrid electric vehicles rose 15.3% over the same period. In contrast, registrations for petrol-powered cars declined by 10.2% year-on-year.
Looking at the first quarter as a whole, hybrid electric vehicles held the largest share of new registrations in Europe at 38.6%, followed by petrol vehicles at 22.6%. Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 19.4% of new registrations in that period.
Manufacturer-level results for March showed sharp rebounds for some popular brands. Tesla recorded a substantial increase in registrations, up 84.3% year-on-year to 52,600 vehicles. Chinese automaker BYD also posted strong growth, with registrations rising 147.6% to 37,580 vehicles.
Data released on Thursday indicate that European buyers continue to favor electric and hybrid drivetrains over traditional internal combustion engines, amid regulatory momentum toward reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The trend has coincided with market developments affecting imports: BYD expanded its presence in European markets after the European Union agreed to drop steep import tariffs on some Chinese brands.
Overall, the registration figures for March and the first-quarter market shares highlight a pronounced shift in consumer demand within the European new vehicle market, with electrified powertrains accounting for the largest components of recent growth.
Methodology note: The percentages and registration totals reported above come from the industry dataset released on Thursday and reflect year-on-year comparisons for March and cumulative shares for the first quarter.