Vehicle sales surged in Europe in October for the 15 straight month of gains, as battery-electric models surged, passing diesel’s share year-to-date for the first time.
New registrations rose about 15% to more than 855,000 units, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
Battery-electric registrations jumped 36% to nearly 122,000 units and reached a 14% market share for the year so far, while hybrids rose about 39% for a nearly 29% market share. Diesel’s share fell to 12%, and gas shrank to 33%.
Several countries’ increased BEV adoption led to the substantial gains. Belgium and Denmark both saw triple-digit increases in their battery-electric registrations for the month.
The increased momentum toward electrified adoption continued to outpace the phenomenon in the U.S., where EV sales hit a record 8% in the third quarter, up from 6% year-over-year.
