In 2025, new car registrations across the European Union reached 10,822,831 vehicles, reflecting a moderate increase of 1.8% compared to 2024, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). Despite this growth, total sales remain well below pre-pandemic levels.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) continued to expand, reaching 1,880,370 units and accounting for 17.4% of the EU market. Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France led in growth, with increases ranging from 12.5% to 43.2%. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) rose to 3,733,325 units, or 34.5% of the market, with Spain (+23.1%), France (+21.6%), Germany (+8%), and Italy (+7.9%) recording the most significant gains. Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) also saw notable growth, totaling 1,015,887 units, led by Spain (+111.7%), Italy (+86.6%), and Germany (+62.3%), with market share rising to 9.4% from 7.2% in 2024. Conversely, petrol car registrations declined by 18.7%, while diesel vehicles dropped to 24.2% of the market. France (-32%), Germany (-21.6%), Italy (-18.2%), and Spain (-16%) experienced the steepest declines.

Bulgaria reported a strong performance in new car sales in 2025, with 49,419 registrations, marking a 15.1% increase from 42,941 in 2024. This places Bulgaria third in the EU for annual growth, behind Lithuania (+39.3%) and Latvia (+31.4%).

By engine type in Bulgaria, gasoline vehicles remained dominant at 38,875 units (+14.4%), followed by diesel at 5,313 units (-8.6%). Electric vehicles showed significant growth, with BEVs reaching 2,420 units (+62%), HEVs at 2,045 units (+103.5%), and PHEVs at 566 units (+21.2%).

At the EU level, Volkswagen Group remained the market leader with 2,988,870 cars and a 27.6% share (+5.5%), followed by Stellantis with 1,660,155 cars (15.3%, -4.7%), Renault Group with 1,239,693 cars (11.5%, +5.6%), and Tesla with 150,504 cars (1.4%, -37.9%).

The data indicate a clear shift towards electrification, with hybrid and fully electric vehicles gaining ground as traditional petrol and diesel cars decline, while Bulgaria stands out as one of the fastest-growing markets for new car registrations in the EU.