Engines: What sells best in Europe?

Is the European market for battery electric vehicles on the road to recovery?

By: Hugo Pommier

Nov 24, 2024 at 3:14am ET

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While the European market (31 countries) for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) grew by 3.5 per cent in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the first quarter of 2023, and by 1.6 per cent in the first half of 2024 compared with the first half of 2023, it fell by 2.6 per cent over the first nine months of 2024 as a whole compared with the first nine months of 2023.

In detail, September 2024 saw a year-on-year increase of 13.9 per cent. This means that the change in BEV sales over the first 9 months of 2024 is negative overall compared to 2023, with BEV market share falling to 14.7 per cent in Europe at the end of September 2024 from 15.2 per cent at the end of September 2023.

However, the increase seen in September points to a recovery over the next three months of the year. We are therefore not witnessing a collapse in BEV sales in Europe, but rather stagnation. However, a clear drop in sales is well underway in some countries, such as Germany (-28.6 per cent), Sweden (-18.9 per cent), Finland (-31.4 per cent), and Switzerland (-9.5 per cent).

New battery-electric models at lower prices than today could help to support the European electric market.

As for other powertrains, petrol continues to lose ground in Europe (34 per cent of the market compared with 37 per cent in 2023 and 38 per cent in 2022), as does diesel (11 per cent of the market compared with 12 per cent in 2023 and 15 per cent in 2022).

Plug-in hybrids remain stable at 7 per cent of the market. Hybrid (or HEV) continues its spectacular growth (14 per cent of the market compared with 10 per cent in 2023 and 8 per cent in 2022). Mild-hybrids (MHEVs) are growing to 17 per cent of the market, and remain the second-largest powertrain technology behind petrol engines, which have twice the market share.

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