Something quietly historic just happened on Europe’s roads.
For the first time ever, fully electric cars outsold petrol-only vehicles in the EU last month. Yes — by a whisker, but a win is a win.
According to the auto industry group ACEA, electric vehicles accounted for 22.6% of new registrations.
Nudging just ahead of petrol cars at 22.5%.
Still, hybrids remain the real heavyweights, grabbing a commanding 44% of the market.
Think of them as Europe’s comfort zone: greener, but not fully unplugged.
Petrol Cars Recast
So what’s driving the shift? Part of it is genuine progress. Part of it, analysts say, is clever categorisation.
“Some petrol cars are now being rebranded as ‘mild hybrids’,” explained independent automotive analyst Matthias Schmidt.
They still burn fuel, he noted, but wear a greener badge.
And don’t expect electric cars to completely dominate just yet.
“It will still take around five years before pure EVs truly overtake combustion engines across the region,” Schmidt said. “But this is a start.”
That nuance matters as EU policymakers debate easing emissions rules, potentially giving traditional engines a longer lease on life.
So, is this the electric revolution? Not quite.
But it does feel like a turning point — the moment petrol cars stopped being Europe’s default choice and started playing catch-up instead.
