In December 2024, the passenger car sales in the European Union increased year-on-year at a rate of 5.1 percent. Customers in the whole European market purchased around 1.09 million units in total. At some 224,700 units, Germany remained the leading market for passenger car sales in Europe that month. European auto market flip-flops Countries with strict lockdown measures saw a sharp drop in sales in 2020, as customers were restricted in travel and urged to stop all non-essential activity. The pandemic also brought down productivity in many sectors, including vehicle manufacturing. For months, pandemic-related restrictions had left many people out of work or meant that they were receiving only a portion of their normal income. Although the coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold, vaccine rollout was ramped up and sales of new passenger cars shot up significantly in the second quarter of 2021. However, the Delta variant made it more difficult to control the spread of the virus and there have been supply-chain insecurities throughout 2021, upending the positive trend. The global automotive semiconductor shortage further impacted vehicle production and sale, as inventories depleted. Pre-crisis sales Changes in tax regulations resulted in a peak in December 2019 and weak sales figures in January 2020. Registrations of new passenger cars in Europe's largest markets were already low due to consumer uncertainty and a weakening economy even before the coronavirus pandemic caused markets to tank in March and April 2020.

Car Registrations in European Union increased to 916609 Units in October from 888672 Units in September of 2025. This dataset provides - European Union Car Registrations- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Germany remained the largest passenger car market in 2024: German customers bought over **** million units that year. Of the twenty largest European markets, Sweden recorded the steepest drop in sales through 2024, down by ***** percent. Volkswagen tops EU sales in 2024 Volkswagen emerged as the best-selling brand in the European Union (EU) throughout 2024, with nearly *** million unit sales. Volkswagen was followed by Toyota and Škoda. Furthermore, in 2024, the Dacia Sandero was the top-selling passenger vehicle model in Europe. This indicates a significant preference among European customers for petrol hatchbacks. On the other hand, there has been a pivot towards electrified vehicles in Europe. In 2024, **** percent of new car registrations in the EU were electrified to some degree, including plug-in electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. This is influenced by policies like the EU's ban on new fossil-fuel car sales from 2035, intended to boost sustainability. Even though electric vehicle adoption has been slow in Europe, Norway managed EV transformation much faster with significant financial subsidies to EV buyers. In 2024, **** percent of passenger car sales in Norway were fully electric. This was the highest share of battery-electric cars in Europe, and comes after Norway rolled back the subsidies that supported the success of electric vehicles in the country. Germany dominates European car industry By 2024, Germany had solidified its leadership in car manufacturing in Europe, producing approximately **** million passenger cars, more than *******of its closest competitor, Spain. Furthermore, in 2022, Germany had the largest passenger vehicle fleet in Europe, with **** million units. Besides leading in production, German car manufacturers also excel in financial performance and brand value. Volkswagen was the top global automaker in terms of revenue, with ***** billion U.S. dollars of revenue as of May 2025. Additionally, German brands like Mercedes-Benz and BMW ranked as some of the most valuable worldwide, with brand values of **** and ** billion U.S. dollars, respectively.

Car Registrations In the Euro Area increased to 775028 Units in October from 769440 Units in September of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Euro Area Car Registrations - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In September 2025, the United Kingdome remained the largest European market for new cars, with some ******* new car registrations. Its peak in sales in March of that year is due to how the processing of new registrations operates in the country at the end of the quarter, which leads to peaks in March. Germany was second in the ranking, and France came third.

Sport-utility vehicles were estimated to be the most popular passenger light vehicle segment in the European Union in 2024. Some *** million SUVs were sold in the region, compared to around *** million small cars, which were the second-largest segment.

The average for 2023 based on 26 countries was 566051 passenger cars. The highest value was in Germany: 2844609 passenger cars and the lowest value was in Bulgaria: 35764 passenger cars. The indicator is available from 2005 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Graph and download economic data for Sales: Retail Trade: Car Registration: Passenger Cars for OECD: Europe (OECDESLRTCR03GPSAM) from Feb 1973 to Dec 2018 about car registrations, OECD Europe, Europe, trade, retail trade, vehicles, sales, and retail.

This data set is a collection of European cars data containing 25 columns and 6000 rows

This dataset provides comprehensive information on European market cars, including electric vehicles (EVs), hybrids, diesel, and petrol models.

It is designed for data science, machine learning, and automotive analytics applications such as car recommendation systems, range prediction, and comparative market studies.

The dataset includes over thousands of car records with detailed technical, economic, and safety-related specifications.

All data has been normalized and standardized for AI-ready analysis, ensuring consistency across electric and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.

⚙️ Key Features

• 🧩 Complete technical specs— horsepower, torque, acceleration, efficiency, battery/range, top speed
• 🔋 Powertrain coverage — electric, hybrid, petrol, and diesel
• 💶 Economic data — purchase price, energy/fuel cost, and maintenance
• 🛡️ Safety & automation — ADAS level and Euro NCAP safety ratings
• 📊 AI-ready structure — clean schema for predictive modeling and recommendation engines

💡 Potential Use Cases

• Car recommendation systems for consumers or dealers
• Market comparison of EVs vs ICE vehicles
• Predictive modeling for price, range, or efficiency
• Automotive trend analysis and sustainability research
• AI/ML integration in automotive data platforms

🧭 Source & Provenance

The dataset was compiled and normalized from verified European automotive sources, including manufacturer specifications, EV-database.org, and automotive market listings. Values such as price, range, and performance metrics were cross-validated using multiple public references to maintain accuracy.

⚖️ License

Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (Attribution License) — you may use and modify this dataset with proper attribution.

📈 Update Frequency

This dataset is static, based on 2024 vehicle specifications. It may be updated quarterly as new European models are released.

🧰 Compatibility

File Format : .xlsx (Excel) Columns Described : ✅ Yes
License : ✅ CC BY 4.0
Language : English

At over *** million new registrations, petrol internal combustion engines were the most popular powertrain in the European Union in 2024, followed by hybrid electric and battery-electric powertrains. By contrast, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles were less popular.

The European Motor Vehicle Wholesaling and Retailing industry’s revenue is forecast to climb at a compound annual rate of 1.6% over the five years through 2025 to €1,461.3 billion, with a projected hike of 2.2% in 2025. In 2023, the EU car market showed clear signs of recovery. According to ACEA data, EU car sales rose by 13.9% from 2022 levels, reaching around 10.5 million units for the year. However, in 2024, the growth slowed considerably, notching up just a modest rise of 0.8%. This surge in car sales boosted profitability for many car dealers. Although electric vehicles are increasingly popular, many people still opt for petrol cars due to lower upfront costs and easier refuelling access than charging an EV, as highlighted by data from Jato Dynamics showing new electric cars in Europe cost 22% more than similar petrol equivalents. Petrol models also remain cheaper to manufacture and maintain because simpler powertrains lessen exposure to rising raw material prices like lithium, which has averaged around €8,848 per tonne in 2024 according to London Metal Exchange figures. Car wholesalers and retailers are responding to higher electric vehicle prices by maintaining attractive petrol portfolios. They're also offering affordable mild-hybrid options as a practical bridge for buyers concerned about EV costs. This helps businesses capture short-term sales and addresses consumer hesitation around investing in pricier electric vehicles. European governments are increasing their efforts to cut emissions in line with climate agreement targets. Zero- and low-emission zones are becoming widespread in European city centres, which restrict the entry of high-polluting vehicles. Governments are incentivising the uptake of electric vehicles by offering subsidies and zero tax on new purchases. The sale of new diesel and petrol cars will be banned in many countries (2030 in the UK, 2035 in the EU), encouraging people and fleet owners to switch to an electric vehicle for their next purchase. Over the five years through 2030, revenue is forecast to climb at a compound annual rate of 5.8% to reach €1,934.5 billion. Connected cars will also be a focus for many dealers, as infotainment systems become widely demanded by customers.

In 2024, ********** was the best-selling European car brand in the United States. ************* was ranked second, while fellow German *** completed the top three. Global car sales are projected to be slightly higher in 2025 compared to preceding years. Car sales in the United States Out of European car brands, Volkswagen sold the highest number of cars in the United States in 2024. However, this figure was much lower than the number of light vehicles sold by Asian or North American car brands. The Toyota Motor company sold some **** million light vehicles under its namesake Toyota brand in 2024, the second highest number out of all car brands in the United States. However, it was Ford that was the leading American car brand in the United States in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Explore the impact of a 24% rise in EV sales on the European car market in 2025, highlighting key trends and shifts amidst global uncertainties.

Graph and download economic data for Sales: Retail trade: Car registration: Passenger cars for the European Union (EU28SLRTCR03IXOBSAM) from Jan 1970 to Dec 2019 about car registrations, EU, Europe, trade, retail trade, vehicles, sales, and retail.

Measure success and shape winning sales strategies with a clear, data-driven view of market activity. To enhance market precision, we segment leasing companies, car dealerships, and OEMs, giving you faster access to high-potential automotive segments. Our data supports realistic market assessments and enables smarter decision-making across the value chain.

Dataforce sources new vehicle registrations and parc (Units in Operation) for passenger cars, light heavy commercial vehicles—directly from official registration offices. This data is key to tracking after-sales performance and defining true market potential. In-depth views are available by make, model, fuel type, body style (e.g., hatchback, sedan, SUV), and vehicle age. Regional breakdowns are available at NUTS3 or postal code level, depending on the country, offering unmatched granularity for advanced market analysis.

As of 2020, online sales accounted for some *** percent of used car retail sales in Europe. At about *** percent, the share of such sales was much higher in the United States. While Carvana, a U.S.-based online used-car retailer, sold ******* used cars in the U.S. in 2020, no company has built a similar trusted brand in the European used-car online market. Auto1 Group is one of the leading startups in the field. The company went public in 2021 and was named among the leading unicorns in Europe in April 2021.

Graph and download economic data for Sales: Retail Trade: Car Registration: Passenger Cars for OECD (OECDSLRTCR03GPSAQ) from Q2 1973 to Q4 2018 about car registrations, OECD Europe, Europe, trade, retail trade, vehicles, sales, and retail.

European car production is greatly affected by household income and consumer and business confidence levels, which dictates private and fleet sales at dealerships. The level of business confidence and expansion plans influence fleet sales and orders from road freight operators. Overall, car manufacturing revenue in Europe is forecast to rise at a compound annual rate of 2.3% over the five years through 2025 to €1.2 trillion, including growth of 0.8% in 2025. Squeezed household income has driven down dealership orders in recent years, weighing on output and revenue growth. Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association shows that car production shot up by 10.2%, in 2023 as it came out of a pandemic-induced low. Car makers have contended with semiconductor shortages, which altered and led to suspensions in production schedules between 2021 and 2023. The disruption and higher costs of car parts resulted in a 6.2% decline in production in 2024, as reported by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, hitting profit. The fall in orders of diesel vehicles in most markets in favour of plug-in hybrids and pure electric vehicles contributed to a fall in output as the automotive sector transitions. In 2025, the industry faces the threat of tariffs imposed by the US and likely retaliatory tariffs from the EU, which will raise costs and reduce exports to the US, a crucial market for EU car makers. Revenue is forecast to expand at a compound annual rate of 4.4% over the five years through 2030 to €1.4 trillion. Environmental policies will drive car production further towards alternatively fuelled vehicles, significantly reducing petrol and diesel vehicle production, especially with an upcoming ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles across the EU from 2035. Some countries have gone even further - the Netherlands, the UK, Germany, France and Spain will ban selling new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030. As a result, many EU producers have announced plans to only make hybrid and plug-in electric vehicles. Car makers will benefit from efforts by EU governments to reduce carbon emissions, leading to funding for chargepoints, which should drive up electric vehicle uptake.

Graph and download economic data for Sales: Retail trade: Car registration: Passenger cars for the European Union (EU28SLRTCR03GYSAQ) from Q1 1971 to Q4 2019 about car registrations, EU, Europe, trade, retail trade, vehicles, sales, and retail.