What Falling Sales? BEVs Jump 34% YoY in October in Europe! – CleanTechnica

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BEVs reach 21% market share!

EVs are picking up in Europe, with some 346,000 plugin vehicles being registered in Europe in October, 229,000 of them being BEVs. Overall, plugin vehicles were up 36% YoY. Expect December 2025 to establish a new record score, maybe even above the 425,000 unit mark.

The overall market also had a positive month in October, rising 5% YoY to 1.1 million units, which is above the YTD performance, which is up by just 2% YoY.

Looking at October’s powertrain breakdown, petrol (down 15% YoY, to 25% share) and diesel (down 22% YoY, to 7% share) continue their descent, and plugins continue on the rise, with BEVs up 34% to 21% share and PHEVs surging 42% to 11% share. We might be witnessing the first signs of Peak HEV in Europe.

True, plugless hybrids still grew above the market average (+8% YoY vs +5%), but the growth rate in October was half of September (16%), and its October market share (34%) was lower that its YTD average (35%). Does this mean that 2025 will be the Peak PHEV year in Europe?

Something to follow next year…

Adding the 34% market share of HEVs to the 21% of BEVs and the 11% of PHEVs, this means that 66% of all new cars in Europe had some sort of electrification.

With these October results, the year-to-date share for BEVs remained at 19% (28% for PHEVs and BEVs combined), with BEVs now above the 2 million mark this year and PHEVs north of 1 million.

Looking at the best selling models, the big news this month was Tesla being left out of the top 5. Here’s a more detailed analysis of the top 5 EVs this month:

#1 Skoda Elroq — The Elroq won another best seller trophy in October, thanks to 11,491 registrations, which is not only a new personal best for the Elroq, but also a new record for a Skoda model, having beaten the previous high of 11,185 units scored by the Enyaq in October 2024. And I bet it won’t be its last record performance from the Elroq … December should be Epiq. Speaking of the Czech’s new small crossover, looking ahead to 2026, if we look into the performances of these past couple of months, one could say that the Skoda Elroq could be the first model to challenge the leadership of the Tesla Model Y in 2026. Well … I doubt it. While Model Y sales performances could fall further, the problem for the Czech crossover is that around mid-2026, a new, smaller and more affordable Skoda crossover will land. Called the Epiq, that model should steal lots of sales from the current star player of the Skoda lineup, as it will be simultaneously cheaper and more modern than the Elroq. So, while the first half of 2026 might see the Elroq chase the Model Y, later in the year, we should see it lose pace and see the US crossover gain ground.

#2 Renault 5 (inc. Alpine A290) — Renault’s star player delivered 10,256 sales, a new record for the iconic hatchback. This was its first 5-digit result, much thanks to the restart of the social leasing scheme in France, and the initial deliveries of the base version, the €25,000 Five. Looking at its 2025 performance, it looks like the final tally for this year should end around 85,000 units, which falls within the 80,000–100,000 I had anticipated for it in 2025. So, looking into 2026, will it reach 100,000 units? Hmm … doubt it. No matter how attractive the 5 is, the truth is that in 2026, its space in the market will be squeezed not only by external competition (VW ID.Polo, Cupra Raval, etc.), but also by internal competition, with the equally cute new Twingo stealing sales from below and the appealing 4 crossover doing the same from above. And let’s not forget the upcoming Nissan Micra, which is basically a Renault 5 in a Kenzo suit….

#3 BYD Seal U (BEV+PHEV) — BYD’s midsize SUV is having a moment in Europe and managed to win a podium presence thanks to 7,499 registrations in October. Still, with the BEV version representing around 10% of its sales, the backbone of this performance is the PHEV version. With prices starting at less than €40,000, the PHEV Song Seal U has an 18 kWh battery as well as fast-charging capabilities, and while that does not seem like something out of the ordinary, look at the competition: the VW Tiguan PHEV (20 kWh battery, CCS charging) starts at €52,000; the Kia Sportage PHEV (14 kWh battery) starts at €45,000; and the outgoing Toyota RAV4 PHEV (18 kWh) starts at €52,500. Looking at that, one starts to understand the value-for-money appeal of BYD’s SUV. You buy one with your head, not your heart. (Or, for the latter, BYD has the more appealing Sealion 07 SUV.)

#4 VW ID.4 — The German crossover is in cruise control, winning another top 5 position in October thanks to 7,142 registrations. Benefitting from significant discounts and favorable lease rates to help things along, the VW model saw its sales grow by 6% in October, allowing it to become the best selling electric Volkswagen this month. Expect the Volkswagen EV to continue running at a pace of some 6,500–7,500 units per month, and winning several top 5 presences as a result. At least until sometime around Q3 of next year, when a certain VW ID.Tiguan is expected to land….

#5 Skoda Enyaq — Skoda’s original electric crossover managed to reach the top 5 after a close race with the #6 VW ID.3 thanks to 7,127 registrations in October. There were thus two models from the Czech make in the top 5. Despite a significant 36% sales decrease YoY, due to the Elroq cannibalizing a significant portion of its sales, the Enyaq still had enough demand on its own to win a few top 5 presences — no small feat, considering that it has to endure the effect of the Elroq’s record sales success.

Outside the top 5, the biggest news is the first appearance of the Mercedes CLA on the best sellers table, in #17 with a record 4,057 units.

Despite the sporty sedan still being in ramp-up mode, without the base LFP battery version, and with the station wagon body still a few months away, the two available versions were able to generate enough demand to show up here — much thanks to the impressive specs posted by it: 790 km WLTP electric range and 320 kW charging being just two of them. All this starting at €55,000….

The new CLA is the dawn of a new phase in the Mercedes EV game, set to be followed soon by the new GLC and GLB. And it couldn’t have been at a better time, as the Chinese OEMs are making inroads in what was once the private dominion of the Three Marys (BMW, Mercedes, and Audi), AND … let’s not forget that BMW is set to jump not one, but two generations with its new iX3, not only jumping ahead of the current Mercedes and Audi offerings, but also Chinese luxury brands, which at the moment cannot reach the iX3’s range+charging combo (805 km range + 400 kW charging). The new Bimmer is the first European EV to set the standard for the competition and make the ICE competition redundant.

Elsewhere, a mention also goes out to the Citroen e-C3 rejoining the table, in #20 with 3,828 units, its best score since May. That is really good news for Stellantis, especially considering that the Peugeot 208 EV also ended in 21st, with 3,798 units, the hatchback’s best score in 17 months. The two models have to give much thanks to France’s social leasing scheme, which benefits cheap BEVs made in Europe.

Outside the top 20, the highlights go to two models ramping up. The Renault 4 reached 2,403 sales, all while the new Mazda 6e, which is basically a reskinned Changan EV, is also reaching significant volumes, having delivered 1,948 units in October.

Mazda could be on to something here. By recognizing that at this point the Chinese OEMs are years ahead of most legacy OEMs, launching new EVs based on a tried and tested Chinese platform is a quick way to put a foot on the door and start churning out EVs while at the same time getting an “EVs for dummies” crash course (allowing them to speed up their own skills and knowledge of the technology).

Basically, it’s now doing what the Chinese OEMs did a couple of decades ago … but the other way around.

Looking at the 2025 ranking, there were significant changes in the top positions.

While the Tesla Model Y remained untouchable, behind it, a lot has happened.

The Tesla Model 3 had a horrible month (1,240 sales in October, down 73% YoY and its worst score since July 2022…), which made it fall five positions, to 7th, allowing the Skoda Elroq to climb one position, into the 2nd spot. All the while, the Renault 5/Alpine A290 twins profited from their record month to jump three positions and ended the month in 3rd.

Another beneficiary from the Model 3’s steep fall was the VW ID.3, which rose up to the 6th position.

After all these changes, it looks like the Skoda Elroq should have secured the silver medal, ending the year well behind faraway leader Tesla Model Y.

But the big question mark is who is going to get the last place on the podium this year.

With 5,000 units separating the 3rd placed Renault 5 from the 8th placed Skoda Enyaq, in theory, the last two months of the year will be interesting to follow.

Although, to be frank, only three of them really count — the #3 Renault 5, the #5 BYD Seal U, and the #7 Tesla Model 3, as they seem to be the only ones able to go over 83,000 units by the end of the year. How will they split the positions? Hard to say, but if I had to place my bets, it would be the Renault in 3rd, the BYD in 4th, and the Tesla in 5th.

The BYD SUV should collect some 19,000 sales in the last two stages of the year, ending the year at some 84,000 sales.

As for the Tesla sedan, expect it to have a good month of October, and with a peak in December, it should gather some 20,000 sales, so it should end 2025 with around 83,000 sales.

The French hatchback, hot on the heels of the French social leasing scheme being introduced and volume deliveries of the base version beginning, should add some 18,000 extra registrations to its tally, ending the year with 85,000 sales.

As for the Volkswagen Group models, I expect the ID.4 to end with 81,000 registrations, the ID.3 should have some 80,000, and all while the Enyaq could end with around 76,000.

Small differences, I know. Which will make it even more interesting to follow!

In any case, if the Tesla Model 3 fails to reach the podium, it will be the first time that the Tesla sedan will be left out of the medal positions.

Elsewhere, there was no other position change on the table, with the only two close races to follow in November being the one for the 10th spot (between a rising BMW iX1 and the Kia EV3) and the #18 BMW i4 having to defend its standing from the approaching #19 Cupra Born and #20 Toyota C-HR PHEV.

Having a quick look at October’s overall brand ranking, besides the usual stuff, like Tesla crashing (-49% YoY) and BYD surging (+207% YoY), the highlights were Cupra’s significant growth (+26% YoY), Citroen also posting a surprisingly good month (+33% YoY), and MG’s parent OEM, SAIC, registering a robust 36% growth rate in Europe, highlighting the Chinese OEM’s strong performances in this market.

On the losers side, we have a surprise — Porsche was down 26% YoY!

Now, some might say that this is due to the fact that they have neglected their bread and butter ICE models, and that their clients won’t buy their new EV models. There might be some truth in it, but I do not think it’s the main reason. The truth is, in the EV era, brand value isn’t what it used to be in the ICE world.

For Porsche to keep on charging outrageous prices like in the past and selling in volume, it will need to deliver something that the others don’t, and not just a badge. Porsche needs to look at models like the BMW iX3 and think: “How can we make something so much better than the iX3 that we can charge an extra 20,000 euros to our clients?”

Just for comparison: the Macan 4 offers 613 km of range and 270 kW charging, while the iX3 offers 805 km of range and 400 kW charging. And the iX3 is €20,000 cheaper….

As for the plugin auto brand ranking, the leader, Volkswagen, remained firm (11.2%), holding a comfortable 2.5% share lead over sliding #2 BMW, which lost 0.1% share in October and is now at 8.7%. (It must be all those clients on the iX3 waiting list….)

This means that the German make is on its way to ending a three-year Tesla reign in Europe (2022, 2023, 2024), winning its first manufacturer title since 2021.

Speaking of Tesla, the Texan automaker saw its share drop by 0.5% from 6.3% to 5.8%, keeping its #4 spot. Not bad, but … we are talking about the trophy holder. Tesla’s 2024 title was its 3rd in a row, and now it should end the year in 4th! The end of an era?

Below the top 5, a deserving mention goes to a rising BYD, which saw its share grow to 4.7%, a 0.1 percentage point increase over September. But more important than BYD’s rise is Skoda’s, with the Czech brand in 6th with 5.4% share. Expect it to surpass #5 Volvo sometime by the end of the year, thus making it three mainstream brands in the top 5.

As for 2026, expect a few changes, with Skoda and BYD probably joining the top 5 at the expense of Volvo and Tesla. And Audi might have a shot at a top 5 position too….

Arranging things by automotive group, Volkswagen Group is firmly in the lead, gaining 0.2% share in October. It is now at 27.8% share, a market share that is comparable to BYD’s in China and Tesla’s in the USA. This is an important metric for the German conglomerate if it wants to stay relevant in a fully electrified global automotive market. If you can’t win at home….

BMW Group (10.4%) remained comfortable in the runner-up position in October, while #3 Stellantis’ highway to hell had a little break (8.5% in September vs. 8.6% now). Is this just the French social leasing scheme working, or has the multinational conglomerate finally bottomed out?

Hyundai–Kia (7.9%, down 0.1% compared to September) remained in 4th, while #5 Geely (7.7%) is now closer to the Korean OEM. Will the Chinese conglomerate be able to surpass them by the end of the year?