In 2021, as many hybrid vehicles as diesel were purchased in the European Union

Last year, hybrid vehicles, for the first time in Europe, weighed as much, or even more, than diesel models in the number of new car registrations.

This is a first in the European Union, since in 2021, as many new hybrid cars were sold as diesel vehicles. The good news comes from the Association of European Automobile Manufacturers, ACEA, which reported on Wednesday that hybrid vehicles accounted for 19.6% of new car registrations in the European Union last year, up from 11.9%. in 2020.

The boom of hybrid vehicles in Europe (and also in France)

Sales of non-rechargeable hybrid vehicles (diesel or gasoline engine) jumped 60.5% year-on-year, with very precisely 1,901,239 units registered in Europe in 2021, or 48 models more than diesel. This is the first time that the hybrid vehicle is so head on diesel.

If we add to this statistic the share of rechargeable hybrid vehicles (PHEV), which must be recharged at a terminal, then we can even say that sales of hybrids have greatly exceeded those of diesel vehicles. 867,092 PHEVs were sold in 2021 in the EU, i.e. 70.7% more than in 2020 and 8.9% market share, even if the fourth quarter marked a very slight slowdown (-1.8 % on the Old Continent).

France is the third country in the European Union, after Germany and Italy, where the most hybrid vehicles were sold (289,837), up 71.6% over one year. The United Kingdom, which is no longer part of the EU, could have been on the podium, with 444,024 models sold. Regarding plug-in hybrid cars, France is number 2 in Europe (even taking into account the British), with 141,001 vehicles sold in 2021, i.e. growth of 89% in 2021. Only Germany, with 325,449 vehicles (+ 62.3%) did better last year. And if we add up the plug-in and non-plug-in hybrid vehicles, the market share is close to 30% in 2021.

The electric vehicle continues its breakthrough

100% electric vehicles are not left out. Their sales in the EU soared 63.1% in 2021, with 878,432 models sold and 9.1% of new car registrations. France (162,167 models, +45.9% over one year) is once again outstripped only by Germany (356,425 models, +83.3%) over the year as a whole. Countries like Austria, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Romania or Sweden have seen their sales double between 2020 and 2021.

During the last quarter, when new car sales fell in Europe, electric vehicles were the most resilient, with sales up 24.9%. But over the whole of 2021, it should be noted that it is the petrol vehicle that remains the best-selling, with a market share of 40% in the EU (3.9 million models), although that overall sales of gasoline vehicles fell by 17.8%, and those of diesel vehicles by 31.5%.

The market share of the models advocated by the authorities and the EU (electric, rechargeable hybrid and non-rechargeable hybrid) is now almost equivalent to petrol vehicles alone. Remember that the European Commission intends to ban sales of combustion engine cars by 2035.

Source: ACEA