Fuel types of new cars: battery electric 9.9%, hybrid 22.6% and petrol 38.5% market share in Q2 2022

In the second quarter of 2022, sales of battery electric vehicles continued to expand in the EU, accounting for 9.9% of total passenger car registrations. Plug-in hybrid cars accounted for 8.7% of market share, up from 8.4% in the second quarter of 2021, despite a decline in the number of units sold. Petrol- and diesel-powered cars suffered significant drops during this three-months period, leading to a contracting market share (55.8% for diesel and petrol combined).

Petrol and diesel cars

From April to June 2022, petrol and diesel cars lost market share in the European Union, down from 62.0% in Q2 2021 to 55.8% in Q2 this year. The market share of petrol fell by over 3 percentage points, accounting for 38.5% of total sales, while diesel’s market share dropped to 17.3% of total passenger car registrations (down from 20.2% during the same period in 2021).

In terms of units, petrol sales plunged by 22.2% across the EU, counting 909,703 cars sold. Diesel saw an even steeper fall (-27.7%), totalling 409,174 units.

Alternatively-powered vehicles (APV)

During the second quarter of 2022, registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEV) in the EU grew by 11.1%, reaching 233,413 cars sold. Among the key markets in the region, Spain and France contributed to the positive performance of BEVs, posting double-digit gains (+22.0% and +18.6% respectively). Italy on the other hand posted a substantial loss (‑19.6%), while Germany witnessed slight negative growth (-0.5%).

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) expanded their market share during the period, despite a double-digit drop in units sold (-12.5% to 206,501 cars). With the exception of Spain (+11.3%), all key markets posted declines in PHEV sales: France (-17.4%), Germany (-16.9%) and Italy (-6.9%).

Sales of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) in the European Union slipped back by 2.2% during the second quarter of the year. However, due to the significant drop in sales of conventionally-fuelled cars, HEVs expanded their overall market share (22.6%). The four main markets in the region recorded mixed results. France and Spain posted growth (+7.2% and +2.7%, respectively). Italy and Germany on the other hand witnessed declines (-9.3% and -6.5%, respectively).

Registrations of natural gas vehicles (NGV) across the European Union plunged by 62.9%, with 4,983 units sold during this period. This fall was mainly due to the drop in Italy, which accounts for the vast majority of sales in the region. By contrast, LPG-fuelled vehicles recorded an increase in sales (+7.9%), reaching 64,152 units during the second quarter of the year. Three out of four of the largest markets in the region posted strong gains: Spain (+57.6%), France (+21.9%) and Germany (+10.3%). Italy on the other hand posted a decline (-5.1%).

In the second quarter of 2022, sales of battery electric vehicles continued to expand in the EU, accounting for 9.9% of total passenger car registrations.