Europe's new car market continued to expand in April, driven by growing demand for electrified powertrains that offset falls in conventional fuel vehicle registrations, according to industry data released this week.
Registrations across the European Union, Britain and the European Free Trade Association rose 7% in April to 1,152,315 vehicles. That increase left the total for January through April 4.8% higher than the same period a year earlier.
Sales of electrified vehicles - encompassing battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid models - grew by about 21% in April and accounted for more than two-thirds of all registrations. By contrast, petrol and diesel models saw declines of around 15% and 17%, respectively.
The data underline the continuing pull of lower-emission vehicles in the region's largest markets, with policy measures, subsidies and higher fuel prices cited as factors encouraging buyers to choose electrified options.
Market shares and competitive dynamics shifted as a result of that demand pattern. Tesla extended a recovery for a third consecutive month: April registrations rose 46.5% to 10,654 units after a prolonged period of declines. However, Tesla remained behind BYD, the Chinese manufacturer that posted a 114.5% increase to 27,008 registrations in April.
Other Chinese marques also made notable gains. Chery recorded a very rapid rise, with registrations increasing by about 322% in April.
Among legacy automakers, results were mixed. Volkswagen registrations rose 3.5%, Stellantis increased 6.7%, Bayerische Motoren Werke rose 2.4% and Mercedes-Benz saw a 7% gain. Renault, by contrast, recorded a 3.6% decline.
Country-level trends show strong traction for battery-electric vehicles in several major markets: Italy, France and Germany reported BEV registration increases of roughly 73%, 48% and 41%, respectively, for the first four months of the year.
Overall, April's figures portray a European auto market in transition, where electrified vehicle demand is sustaining growth and reshaping competitive positions among both established manufacturers and newer Chinese entrants.