EU electric vehicle registrations rise as hybrids lead Cyprus car market

Nicosia, Cyprus. The European Union’s electric vehicle market expanded in 2025, while hybrid vehicles became the leading choice among new passenger saloon car registrations in Cyprus during the first half of 2026.

EU electric vehicle registrations

Eurostat data showed that 1.89 million new battery-electric passenger cars were registered across the EU in 2025, a 29.7 per cent increase from 2024, when registrations had declined by 6 per cent.

The number of battery-electric passenger cars on EU roads reached 7.59 million in 2025, up 31.5 per cent from 5.77 million in 2024.

New plug-in hybrid registrations rose by 34.2 per cent to 1.03 million vehicles. Registrations of non-plug-in hybrids increased by 13.4 per cent to 3.62 million, making them the most widely registered type of new vehicle in the EU.

Decline in petrol and diesel registrations

New registrations of petrol and diesel cars continued to fall in 2025. Pure diesel registrations declined by 22 per cent to 1.07 million, while petrol car registrations dropped by 18.4 per cent to 2.98 million.

Cyprus market

In Cyprus, hybrid vehicles accounted for 51.7 per cent of passenger saloon car registrations between January and June 2026, compared with 43 per cent during the same period in 2025, according to the state statistical service, Cystat.

A total of 22,597 passenger saloon cars were registered during the first six months of 2026, compared with 20,004 in the corresponding period of 2025, an annual increase of 13 per cent.

Petrol-powered cars accounted for 35.2 per cent of registrations, down from 43.6 per cent a year earlier.