Hybrids Close To Outselling Petrol Cars In Europe Says New Data, But That’s Kinda Misleading

EV sales dropped by 5.9 percent in the European Union in 2024, and even PHEVs were down 6.8 percent in a year when total sales edged up by 0.8 percent, new data shows. But let’s hear it for hybrids! Sales of non-pluggable, electrically assisted cars jumped 20.9 percent, giving them the second biggest market share by powertrain type, only just behind petrols.

Hybrids ended the year with a 30.9 percent slice of the sales pie, compared with 33.3 percent for petrol vehicles, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). Petrol sales actually dropped 4.8 percent, so it’s easy to imagine hybrids accelerating into first place by this time next year.

Related: Hybrid Sales Boom In Europe While EVs And PHEVs Lose Market Share

But the story is a bit more complicated than that because ACEA’s hybrid figures don’t distinguish between mild-hybrid and full-hybrid cars, despite separating plug-ins into a different column on the spreadsheet. 

To remind you, mild hybrids usually consist of nothing more than an ordinary combustion engine fitted with a starter-generator that can add a tiny power boost (normally up to 20 hp / 20 PS), giving almost no opportunity to drive under electric power alone and not making a night and day difference to real-world economy figures, though you might achieve a small saving.

We’re not saying the tech lacks merit, but it’s far less sophisticated than a full hybrid system. And while buyers might actively search out a full hybrid model, so many cars now come with mild-hybrid engines that buyers aren’t necessarily choosing to buy one over a non-hybrid car. They might just like the vehicle and take it as it comes. They might not even know it’s a hybrid.

European Union Sales 2024

But here’s one thing we took away from ACEA’s figures: Europeans overwhelmingly prefer buying cars that feel much like conventional cars, or cars they’re familiar with. Hybrids and mild hybrids don’t need plugging in, and they still need to fill up with gas as all petrol cars do. They just use less of it.

Together, petrol and hybrid vehicles account for over 64 percent of the car market. And, yeah, we could even throw diesel into that mix – its sales dropped 15 percent but it still commands an 11.9 percent market share. That’s getting on for 76 percent of buyers still not wanting the hassle (or expense) of a plug.

Source: ACEA