Battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales strengthened across Europe's main markets in April, pulling further ahead of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and widening the gap with overall car demand growth.
Germany and France remained central to that shift, both lifting their BEV share to 26 pc, up from below 20pc a year earlier, while PHEV shares were broadly flat. Denmark reached 82pc BEV share, far above any other major market, underlining how strongly tax rules can skew uptake (see graph).
Elsewhere, the move is clearer in direction than in scale. Italy almost doubled its BEV share to 9pc, but still leans heavily on PHEVs and hybrids, while Belgium and the Netherlands both pushed BEVs into the high 30pc range.
In each case, BEVs gained share faster than PHEVs, which either stagnated or declined, notably in Belgium and Denmark, where PHEV shares halved or more.
That divergence reflects a broader pattern this year, whereby BEV numbers are scaling where policy and fleet rules favour them, while PHEVs move in line with tax changes and compliance needs rather than steady demand. The unevenness across countries echoes the stop-start dynamic already visible across global EV markets, where demand remains tied closely to incentives.
Total sales and combustion engines show a weaker trend. Overall registrations were flat to modestly higher across most markets, while petrol and diesel vehicles continued to fall, but without matching the pace of BEV gains.
German carmaker Volkswagen Group held the largest share with modest growth (see graph), while Stellantis expanded faster on the month.
That aligns with Stellantis' push into lower-cost EVs through its partnership with Chinese start-up Leapmotor, which is moving into scaled production and European distribution.
Chinese carmakers continue to post the fastest gains in Europe. BYD more than doubled April volumes, while SAIC and Chery also expanded rapidly in the low-cost segments.
Some legacy firms are falling back as a result. US carmaker Ford and Japan's Nissan both reported declining sales, while others such as French carmaker Renault Group and South Korea's Hyundai Motor Group also slipped on the month.
Performance now rests on who can build and sell enough low-cost models, not just who offers BEVs, with firms lacking scale or competitive pricing losing market share despite electrifying their line-ups.
