Romanian car market registers sharpest decrease in new fully electric vehicles in 2024

Romania saw the largest percentage decrease in new fully electric cars registered in 2024, a nearly 33% drop, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Fully electric cars represented 10.1% of new cars sold in Romania in 2023. Last year, the figure dropped to 6.5%.

Across Europe, 1.44 million new fully electric cars were registered last year, a 6% drop compared to 2023. The largest market, Germany, experienced a 27% decline, down to 380,000 units, while the second-largest market, France, saw a 2.6% decrease.

The primary reason for the decline in fully electric vehicles was the reduction or elimination of government subsidies for purchasing such cars.

In Romania, the decrease was from over 14,000 to under 10,000 registrations. However, hybrid and diesel cars performed well, with diesel registrations increasing by 15%.

Some smaller markets also saw declines of over 20% in fully electric vehicles, but several countries reported significant growth: Belgium (37%), the Netherlands (16%), Spain (11%), and Hungary (47%).

Among non-EU countries, two stand out for electric car sales: the UK, with 381,000 units last year (a 21% increase), and Norway, with 114,000 units (a 9% increase).

Overall, 10.6 million new cars (gasoline, electric, hybrid, diesel, LPG) were registered in the EU in 2024, up by 0.8%. Spain continued to show resilience with a solid 7.1% growth rate. In contrast, declines were observed in France (-3.2%), Germany (-1%), and Italy, with a slight drop of 0.5%.

The Volkswagen brand held an 11% market share, while Toyota accounted for 7.5%. Dacia increased its market share compared to 2023, reaching 5.1% from 4.9%. Skoda held 6.2% of the market, Renault 5.9%, and BMW 5.8%.

Several brands saw registration declines exceeding 20%, including Fiat, Mini, smart, Jaguar, and Lancia/Chrysler.

(Photo source: Nicola Ferrari | Dreamstime.com)