EV growth in DE/FR/IT/ES new registrations

Background

Battery-electric vehicle registration growth across the large continental markets in this dataset was uneven in 2024. The findings cover DE, FR, IT, and ES, with annual totals from 2020 through 2024 and EV-specific counts and shares for 2022 through 2024.

Among the four countries, FR led in 2024 with an EV share of 16.5. DE followed at 13.9, while ES stood at 5.4 and IT at 4.2. That ranking matters because it shows that the headline question of how EV sales are going in Europe does not have a single answer even within this limited group. In this set, FR remained comparatively strong, DE moved lower, and ES and IT stayed at much smaller EV shares.

The underlying market sizes were also very different. In 2024, total new registrations reached 2,712,259 in DE, 1,817,361 in FR, 1,550,879 in IT, and 1,047,377 in ES. EV volumes therefore sat inside very different national markets, which helps explain why the largest EV count and the highest EV share did not point in the same direction in every year.

Country-by-country registration picture

The clearest way to read the market is to compare EV registrations, total registrations, and EV share side by side.

Country	Year	EV registrations	Total registrations	EV share
DE	2022	468,695	2,559,638	18.3
DE	2023	521,968	2,749,057	19.0
DE	2024	377,941	2,712,259	13.9
FR	2022	210,064	1,635,620	12.8
FR	2023	309,056	1,886,295	16.4
FR	2024	300,283	1,817,361	16.5
IT	2022	48,575	1,308,812	3.7
IT	2023	65,722	1,560,177	4.2
IT	2024	64,432	1,550,879	4.2
ES	2022	31,001	837,393	3.7
ES	2023	54,418	966,712	5.6
ES	2024	57,047	1,047,377	5.4

DE posted the largest EV volume in this group in 2022 and 2023, with 468,695 and 521,968 registrations. In 2024, DE still had the largest EV count at 377,941, but its share fell to 13.9 from 19.0 in 2023.

FR showed a different pattern. EV registrations rose from 210,064 in 2022 to 309,056 in 2023, then edged down to 300,283 in 2024. Even with that lower count, FR’s EV share moved from 16.4 to 16.5, making it the leader country in the findings for 2024.

IT and ES remained smaller EV markets in both count and share. IT recorded 48,575 in 2022, 65,722 in 2023, and 64,432 in 2024. ES recorded 31,001 in 2022, 54,418 in 2023, and 57,047 in 2024.

What changed in 2024

The most notable 2024 development was the divergence between DE and FR. DE went from 521,968 EV registrations in 2023 to 377,941 in 2024, and its EV share moved from 19.0 to 13.9. FR, by contrast, went from 309,056 to 300,283, while its share held at 16.5 after 16.4 in 2023.

That means the 2024 ranking by EV share was led by FR at 16.5, followed by DE at 13.9, then ES at 5.4 and IT at 4.2. For readers asking about EU EV sales by country or a Europe EV sales ranking, this dataset supports a narrow answer for these four markets in 2024: FR led on share, DE led on volume, and ES and IT remained well behind both.

ES and IT were comparatively stable at lower levels. ES increased its EV count from 54,418 to 57,047, though its share slipped from 5.6 to 5.4. IT moved from 65,722 to 64,432, with the share unchanged at 4.2.

The broader registration market also shifted. DE total registrations moved from 2,749,057 in 2023 to 2,712,259 in 2024. FR moved from 1,886,295 to 1,817,361. IT moved from 1,560,177 to 1,550,879. ES moved from 966,712 to 1,047,377. Those totals provide context for why EV counts and EV shares did not always move in the same direction.

Longer view from 2020 through 2024

The full registration series shows that the overall new-car market was still changing before and during the EV share gains reported from 2022 onward.

Country	2020 total	2021 total	2022 total	2023 total	2024 total
DE	2,818,147	2,517,287	2,559,638	2,749,057	2,712,259
FR	1,758,155	1,774,646	1,635,620	1,886,295	1,817,361
IT	1,371,169	1,448,751	1,308,812	1,560,177	1,550,879
ES	913,554	897,912	837,393	966,712	1,047,377

DE remained the largest overall market in every year shown, from 2,818,147 in 2020 to 2,712,259 in 2024. FR stayed second, ranging from 1,635,620 in 2022 to 1,886,295 in 2023. IT and ES were smaller, though ES reached 1,047,377 in 2024.

For EV-specific data, the available years begin in 2022. Across those years, DE moved from 18.3 in 2022 to 19.0 in 2023, then down to 13.9 in 2024. FR moved from 12.8 to 16.4 to 16.5. IT moved from 3.7 to 4.2 to 4.2. ES moved from 3.7 to 5.6 to 5.4.

That pattern answers part of the question about how EV sales are doing: in this four-country view, the market did not move in one direction in 2024. FR sustained a high share, DE lost share, ES kept growing in count but not in share, and IT was broadly flat.

Which models led registrations

The findings also include selected top EV models for 2024. These entries do not cover every country equally, but they do show which nameplates appeared at the top of national registration tables in DE, FR, and ES.

Country	Year	Make	Model	Registrations
DE	2024	TESLA	MODEL Y	29,895
FR	2024	TESLA	MODEL Y	28,629
FR	2024	PEUGEOT	208	27,226
FR	2024	RENAULT	MEGANE E-TECH ELECTRIC	17,600
DE	2024	CUPRA	BORN	16,402
DE	2024	VOLKSWAGEN VW	ID.3 PRO 150KW	15,585
FR	2024	FIAT	500	14,735
DE	2024	MG	MG4 ELECTRIC	11,994
FR	2024	TESLA	MODEL 3	11,623
FR	2024	RENAULT	TWINGO	11,361
ES	2024	TESLA	MODEL 3	11,053

TESLA MODEL Y led the listed entries in both DE and FR, with 29,895 in DE and 28,629 in FR. In FR, the PEUGEOT 208 followed at 27,226, and the RENAULT MEGANE E-TECH ELECTRIC reached 17,600.

DE’s list was spread across brands, including CUPRA BORN at 16,402, VOLKSWAGEN VW ID.3 PRO 150KW at 15,585, and MG4 ELECTRIC at 11,994. ES appears in the model list with TESLA MODEL 3 at 11,053.

For readers asking about Europe EV sales by brand, the findings support only a limited answer. They identify leading models in selected countries for 2024, but they do not provide full brand totals across Europe or even across all four countries.

Interpreting the apparent slowdown

One of the reader questions asks why EV sales are down. This dataset can describe where registrations and shares moved lower, but it cannot explain causes.

What it does show is that the strongest sign of a 2024 slowdown in this group came from DE. EV registrations fell from 521,968 in 2023 to 377,941 in 2024, and EV share fell from 19.0 to 13.9. FR also recorded a lower EV count in 2024 than in 2023, moving from 309,056 to 300,283, though its share still edged from 16.4 to 16.5.

By contrast, ES increased from 54,418 to 57,047, while IT was nearly unchanged at 65,722 in 2023 and 64,432 in 2024. So the phrase “EV sales are down” fits DE clearly in this set, fits FR only in volume, and does not fit ES.

This is also why broad claims about Europe EV sales in 2024 should be handled carefully. The findings cover only DE, FR, IT, and ES. Within those markets, 2024 was mixed rather than uniformly weak or uniformly strong.

What this dataset can and cannot say about Europe

The findings are useful for a focused comparison of four major continental markets, but they do not represent all of Europe. There is no UK series, no US series, and no full Europe total. There is also no China-origin breakdown, so questions about China EV sales in Europe cannot be answered from this document.

Likewise, the model list is selective. It includes top entries for DE, FR, and ES in 2024, but not a complete ranking for IT and not a full brand league table across all countries. That limits any claim about Europe EV sales by brand.

Still, the country comparison is strong enough to answer several common reader questions. For 2024 in this dataset, FR had the highest EV share at 16.5. DE had the highest EV count at 377,941. ES reached 57,047 EV registrations and a 5.4 share. IT recorded 64,432 and a 4.2 share. Those figures provide a grounded snapshot of how EV sales are doing across these four markets.

Limitations

Several constraints shape the interpretation.

First, EV counts and EV shares are available only for 2022, 2023, and 2024. Total registrations are available for 2020 through 2024, but earlier EV values are null in the findings.

Second, the geographic scope is limited to DE, FR, IT, and ES. The data cannot answer questions about UK EV sales in 2024, US EV sales in 2024, or a full Europe total.

Third, the model data are partial. They identify selected top EV models in 2024, but they do not provide a complete all-brand or all-model ranking across the four-country set.

Fourth, the findings are descriptive. They show that DE moved from 19.0 to 13.9 in EV share between 2023 and 2024, and that FR moved from 16.4 to 16.5, but they do not provide policy, pricing, incentive, or supply explanations for those changes.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Which country led EV share in 2024 among DE, FR, IT, and ES? A: FR led in 2024 with an EV share of 16.5. DE was at 13.9, ES at 5.4, and IT at 4.2.

Q: How were EV sales doing in Germany in 2024? A: DE recorded 377,941 EV registrations in 2024, down from 521,968 in 2023. Its EV share also moved from 19.0 to 13.9.

Q: Which country had the largest EV registration volume in 2024? A: DE had the largest EV count in 2024 at 377,941. FR followed with 300,283, while IT had 64,432 and ES had 57,047.

Q: What was the 2024 EV ranking by share in these countries? A: The 2024 ranking by EV share was FR at 16.5, DE at 13.9, ES at 5.4, and IT at 4.2.

Q: Which EV models were leading in DE and FR in 2024? A: In DE, TESLA MODEL Y had 29,895 registrations. In FR, TESLA MODEL Y had 28,629 and PEUGEOT 208 had 27,226.

Q: Does this dataset show UK or US EV sales in 2024? A: No. The findings cover DE, FR, IT, and ES only, with annual data from 2020 through 2024.