Sales of electric vehicles (EV) in the European Union (EU) surpassed cars powered by gas for the first time ever in December. This increase comes despite a collapse in Tesla sales. It also comes despite the EU’s proposed drop of a 2035 deadline for ending the sale of gas cars. The sales data comes from EV registrations. They eclipsed gas powered cars by 22.6% to 22.5%. Hybrid cars beat both at 44%. These numbers reflect increased demand for EVs. That's despite forecasts by some experts that EV market growth will slow down in Europe and the US. Some project that the cutting of EV credits by the White House will cause a decline. They think the proposed end of the EU deadline to end gas car sales could also affect it. Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson told the Financial Times (FT) that the rollout of better EVs that can cover more miles on faster charging times is now driving demand. People “are curious about EVs and they’re getting better cars,” he said. December sales by Chinese automaker BYD led the pack, by far. It soared to a 230% increase from the same month in 2024. Volkswagen registrations rose by 10%. Stellantis EVs rose by 4%. Meanwhile, Tesla sales dropped 20%. Tesla sales declined by 38% for all of 2025. Sagging Tesla sales have been widely attributed to public rejection of the political activities of company CEO Elon Musk and his delay in introducing major changes to its aging lineup. That’s given rivals an opening, some say. Chris Heron is E-Mobility Europe's Secretary General. Heron told Reuters European companies are adapting to a changing market by rolling out new, less pricey EVs. "We're seeing consumer buy-in to this," said Heron. "We're confident that sales across Europe will continue to grow in 2026." Reflect: What will cars look like 50 years from now? Photo of a Volvo EV from Reuters.
