What Falling Sales? BEVs Jump 37% YoY in November in Europe!

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BEVs reach 24% market share!

EVs are picking up in Europe, with some 370,000 plugin vehicles being registered in Europe in November, 258,000 of them being BEVs. Overall, plugin vehicles were up 36% YoY. Expect December 2025 to establish a new record score, maybe even above the 425,000 unit mark.

The overall auto market stagnated in November, rising just 2% YoY to 1.1 million units, which is aligned with the YTD performance, also up 2% YoY.

Looking at November’s powertrain breakdown, petrol (down 20% YoY, to 23% share) and diesel (down 23% YoY, to 7% share) continue their descent, and plugins continue on the rise. BEVs rose 37% to 24% share, while PHEVs were up 34% to 10% share.

Interestingly, the two powertrains seem to be facing different dynamics. November’s 37% BEV growth rate was its highest since January, while, on the other hand, PHEVs’ 34% growth rate was its weakest since April. So … will 2026 be the peak PHEV year in Europe?

After all, 2025 is showing many signs that it will be the peak HEV year in Europe. True, plugless hybrids still grew (slightly) above the market average (+3% YoY vs +2%), but the growth rate in November was far below the yearly average in 2025 (13%), and its November market share (33%) was lower that its YTD average (35%). So, it looks like HEVs will start losing share in 2026 compared to 2025.

Something to follow next year….

Back to plugins, adding the 33% market share of HEVs to the 24% of BEVs and the 10% of PHEVs, this means that 67% of all new cars in Europe had some sort of electrification.

With these November results, the year-to-date share for BEVs remained at 19% (29% for PHEVs and BEVs combined), which compares positively with the shares of 12 months ago, as both BEVs (19% now vs 15% then) and PHEVs (10% now vs 7% then) are on the way up.

But are plugins rising fast enough?

Before the much hyped end of EU ICE ban, I would say that the 2035 target would be doable. Just. But now? I believe policymakers did something for everyone. Yes, there will be no more ICE ban, but the 90% CO2 reduction on the passenger car market will surely continue forcing OEMs to go EV — if nothing else, because of economies of scale. And there were a couple of extra tidbits that will help the transition, like the Battery Booster Program, the slightly stricter Corporate Fleet Mandates, and the new M1E category, with this last one being in my opinion the most important piece of legislation, as it will encourage OEMs to invest in smaller, affordable BEVs.

So, while this will bring some changes (some OEMs will benefit from it, others will not), I believe it won’t change the overall picture significantly. Paraphrasing a Portuguese saying: “You need to change everything, so that everything stays the same.” This way, you keep some influential people happy without significantly changing the overall picture.

Besides, we are talking about a 10-year time span. The world could be fundamentally different in 4 years time, let alone in 10…. So, unless you are Marty McFly and tell me otherwise, I will stick to my guns in believing that in 2035, Europe will generally be where Norway is right now.

Looking at the best selling models, after a close race in which the top 4 models ended separated by just 200 units(!), Tesla pulled off an unexpected #1 plus #2 win. Also, this month’s top 5 pretty much tells us what is going on in the European car market: While still important, Tesla is no longer the dominant force; Volkswagen Group has a strong lineup but lacks a star player (Will it be the VW ID.Polo? VW ID.Cross? Skoda Epiq?); while Renault is recovering lost ground and asserting itself as the local alternative to Volkswagen. Despite having never won any brand trophy, the French brand has a lot of silverware, having won two silver medals (2013 & 2014) and five bronze medals (2015 to 2017, and 2019 and 2020).

Here’s a more detailed analysis of the top 5 EVs this month:

#1 Tesla Model Y — The US crossover was down 40% YoY, but it was still enough to win another monthly title in November, thanks to 11,255 registrations. The Tesla sales champion is expected to have another strong month in December, further cementing its status as the king of EVs in Europe this year. In 2026, though? Now that is an interesting question. I believe it will still be the main candidate to win the title, but unlike the past four years, it won’t be a walk in the park … and 2026 will probably be the last European title for this generation Model Y, as in 2027 the competition will (finally) be ready to leave the midsizer behind.

#2 Tesla Model 3 — Tesla’s original sales champion managed to reach the silver medal after a close race with the #3 Renault 5, thanks to 11,176 registrations in November, a surprising 42% jump compared to November 2024. There were thus two models of the Texan make up the top two positions on the podium. Thanks to significant discounts and promotions, the Model 3 still had enough demand to beat the competition — no small feat, considering that it already has eight and a half years on its back. As for its 2026 prospects … if its sales do not drop more than 5% YoY, that will already be considered a good year.

#3 Renault 5 (inc. Alpine A290) — Renault’s star player delivered 11,130 sales, a new record for the iconic hatchback. This was much thanks to the restart of the social leasing scheme in France. Looking at its 2025 performance, it looks like the final tally for this year should end around 90,000 units, which falls within the 80,000–100,000 I had anticipated for it in 2025. So, looking into 2026, will it reach 100,000 units? Hmm … doubt it. No matter how attractive the 5 is, the truth is that in 2026, its space in the market will be squeezed not only by external competition (VW ID.Polo, Cupra Raval, etc.), but also internal competition, with the equally cute new Twingo stealing sales from below and the appealing 4 crossover doing the same from above. And let’s not forget the upcoming Nissan Micra, which is basically a Renault 5 in a Kenzo suit….

#4 Skoda Elroq — The Elroq won another top 5 presence in November, thanks to 11,054 registrations. Looking into 2026, while the first half of 2026 might see the Elroq chase the Model Y, later in the year, we should see it lose pace as the new family of small crossovers from Volkswagen Group (VW ID.Cross, Skoda Epiq) start to be deployed. Will it be able to keep its podium position next year? Possibly, but that won’t be a given, as the competition, both internal and external, will make a dent in its sales.

#5 BYD Seal U (BEV+PHEV) — BYD’s midsize SUV is having a moment in Europe and managed to win another top 5 presence thanks to 7,735 registrations in November. Still, with the BEV version representing little more than 10% of its sales, the backbone of this performance is the PHEV version. With prices starting at less than €40,000, the PHEV

Song Seal U has an 18 kWh battery as well as fast-charging capability, and while that does not seem like something out of the ordinary, look at the competition: the VW Tiguan PHEV (20 kWh battery, CCS charging) starts at €52,000; the Kia Sportage PHEV (14 kWh battery) starts at €45,000; and the outgoing Toyota RAV4 PHEV (18 kWh) starts at €52,500. Looking at that, one starts to understand the value-for-money appeal of BYD’s SUV. You buy one with your head, not your heart. (Or, for the latter, BYD has the more appealing Sealion 07 SUV.)

Outside the top 5, the #7 BMW iX1 had its best result since December 2023 (7,235 registrations), providing the Bavarian the needed volume to keep things running until the much hyped iX3 lands.

But its on the second half of the table that things get interesting. Thanks to surging sales in Italy, where local incentives have finally kicked in, the BYD Dolphin Surf (aka euro-spec Seagull) jumped onto the table — in 13th, with a record 4,964 registrations, making it November’s second best selling B-segment (subcompact) EV on the table. It surpassed the Citroen e-C3 EV (3,862 units) to get there.

Add this to the fact that the Leapmotor T03 also benefitted from the surging sales in Italy to score a record result (3,497 registrations), making it November’s best selling city car. The first lessons from the new subsidies in Italy is clearly that they are benefitting Chinese models and leaving the local heroes (Fiat’s 500e and Grande Panda EV) in the dust. Something for the Stellantis management to think about. After all, if you can’t win at home….

Elsewhere, the new Belgian-built Volvo EX30 had its best month of the year, thanks to 4,924 deliveries in November, while the new Mercedes CLA EV continued to ramp up, now in 16th with a record 4,687 registrations.

Finally, a mention also goes out to the Ford Explorer EV, with the compact crossover beating its personal record by registering 4,410 units, putting it in 19th position — which sounds great, until one realises that the Skoda Enyaq and VW ID.4, their MEB-based siblings from a different mother, were 8th and 9th, and despite having unremarkable months.

But then again, both the Ford Explorer and the Capri are quick fixes for something that the US seriously misused: For years, its European operations lost autonomy and the capacity to adapt to local tastes, losing the train on electrification and squandering valuable homegrown assets like the Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus.

It’s good news that they have realised their mistakes. But besides quick fixes, like the aforementioned Explorer and Capri, or the future Renault-based Fiesta, Ford needs to let its European operations run things by themselves, especially now that the US automotive landscape will drift even further apart from the European (and even global) one as the US market becomes even more entrenched in ICE and larger than life vehicles.

Outside the top 20, the highlights go to the Audi A6 e-tron, with the big wagon hitting a new record high (3,746 units), consolidating its status as the best selling full-size model in Europe. Another Audi, the A3 PHEV hatchback, benefitted from the improved specs to reach 3,456 units, its highest score in 20 months.

The Volvo EX40 also had its best score in 20 months, thanks to 3,752 registrations, in what is a somewhat surprising good result, considering the EX30’s internal competition.

Despite having already mentioned the record performance of the Leapmotor T03, it is worth highlighting that the Chinese startup is now starting to make inroads in Europe, and globally it is set to reach 600,000 units in 2025, only five years after it landed on the market.

By comparison, Tesla took 12 years to reach 500,000 units in one year (2020) …

… Of course, Xiaomi is on track to blow everyone out of the water, as the 21 month-old car maker is set to reach 400,000 units in its first full year!

Looking at the 2025 ranking, while the podium remained unchanged, below it, there were significant changes.

The Tesla Model 3 recovered three spots and is now 4th, but with both the #2 Skoda Elroq and #3 Renault 5/Alpine A290 twins running at the same pace as the Tesla sedan, it hasn’t managed to recover ground from the two models above it.

With the Tesla Model Y already preparing the best seller party, and the Skoda Elroq cautiously thinking about its silver medal acceptance speech, the big question is who is going to get the last place on the podium this year.

With 5,000 units separating the 3rd placed Renault 5 from the 4th placed Tesla Model 3, and the US sedan expected to have a peak month in December, in practice, the race will be between the French twins and the Tesla midsizer.

Talking about the Texan sedan, expect it to have a peak month in December. It should gather some 15,000 sales, so it should end 2025 with around 89,000 sales.

The French hatchback, hot on the heels of the French social leasing scheme, should stay at some 11,000 registrations in December, ending the year with 90,000 sales.

Small differences, I know. Which will make it even more interesting to follow!

In any case, if the Tesla Model 3 fails to reach the podium, it will be the first time that the Tesla sedan will be left out of the medal positions.

Elsewhere, there were just two position changes on the podium, with the BMW iX1 climbing one position to #10 while the Volvo EX30 benefitted from increased production from its new home in Ghent, Belgium, and surpassed the Ford Kuga PHEV.

Going into December, another point of interest is the race between the #20 Toyota C-HR PHEV and the #21 Citroen e-C3 EV, with the two models separated by just 300 units. Will the French hatchback be able to remove the Japanese crossover from the table?

Having a quick look at November’s overall brand ranking, besides the usual stuff, like Tesla going down (-11% YoY) and BYD surging (+230% YoY), the highlights were #16 Cupra’s significant growth (+25% YoY) and MG registering a robust 21% growth rate in Europe, highlighting the Chinese OEM’s strong performances in this market.

As for the plugin auto brand ranking, the leader, Volkswagen, remained firm (11.1%), holding a comfortable 2.5% share lead over #2 BMW, which lost 0.1% share in November and is now at 8.6%. (It must be all those clients on the iX3 waiting list….)

This means that the German make is on its way to ending a three-year Tesla reign in Europe (2022, 2023, 2024), winning its first manufacturer title since 2021.

Speaking of Tesla, the Texan automaker recovered share, going up 0.1% from 5.8% to 5.9%, keeping its #4 spot. Not bad, but … we are talking about the trophy holder. Tesla’s 2024 title was its 3rd in a row, and now it should end the year in 4th! The end of an era?

Below the top 5, growth is everywhere, starting with #6 Skoda (5.5% share, up from 5.4% in October) — and the Czech maker is now just 100 units below #5 Volvo, so it looks as though Skoda will join the top 5 in the last stage of the 2025 race.

#7 Audi is also on the rise, having increased its market share by 0.1 percentage point to 5.4%. But the rising stars are in the following positions, with #8 BYD seeing its share grow to 4.9%, a 0.2 percentage point increase over October, and #9 Renault also on the rise, having its share grow 0.2 percentage points to 4.4%.

As for 2026, expect a few changes, with Skoda and BYD probably joining the top 5 at the expense of Volvo and Tesla. Audi and Renault might have a shot at a top 5 position too….

Arranging things by automotive group, Volkswagen Group is firmly in the lead, and it is now at 27.7% share, a market share that is comparable to BYD’s in China and Tesla’s in the USA. This is an important metric for the German conglomerate if it wants to stay relevant in a fully electrified global automotive market. If you can’t win at home….

BMW Group (10.3%) remained comfortable in the runner-up position in November, while #3 Stellantis (8.6%) seems to be stabilising. Is this just the French social leasing scheme working, or has the multinational conglomerate finally bottomed out?

Hyundai–Kia (7.7%, down 0.2% compared to October) remained in 4th, while #5 Geely (7.6%) is now closer to the Korean OEM. Will the Chinese conglomerate be able to surpass them in December?