EU electric and hybrid car trade rises in 2025 as production value climbs

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EU electric & hybrid car trade 2025

Highlights

EU imports of hybrid and electric cars rise 4% to €45.1 billion and exports climb 10% to €64.7 billion in 2025, per Eurostat.
Hybrid and electric vehicles comprise nearly 40% (4.8 million units) of EU car production in 2025, up by almost 1 million units from 2024.
China accounts for 42% of EU electric car imports in 2025, while the UK takes 35% of EU electric car exports, with the U.S. and Norway at 14% each.

Trade growth and production gains in 2025

As reported by Eurostat, the EU imports €45.1 billion of hybrid and electric cars in 2025, a 4% increase from €43.4 billion in 2024, while exports rise 10% to €64.7 billion from €58.7 billion.

The longer-term shift is also pronounced. Since 2017, electric and hybrid cars rise from 10% of total EU car imports and 3% of exports to much higher shares in 2025.

Full electric cars account for 20% of EU car imports and 18% of exports in 2025, up from 0.8% and 1.1% respectively in 2017. Plug-in hybrids represent 17% of imports and 9% of exports, compared with 1.2% and 1.8% in 2017, while non-plug-in hybrids make up 23% of imports and 14% of exports, versus 8% and 0.3% in 2017.

EU car production also shows the same trend. Of the 12.6 million cars produced in the bloc in 2025, almost 40% are hybrid or electric cars, or 4.8 million units, up by nearly 1 million from 3.9 million in 2024.

In volume terms, 17% of cars produced in the EU are electric, 7% are plug-in hybrids and 14% are non-plug-in hybrids. The production value of electric and hybrid cars reaches €139 billion in 2025, compared with €123 billion a year earlier.

China leads imports as UK tops export destinations

Among electrified vehicles by production value, electric cars hold the highest total at €68 billion in 2025, up from €58 billion in 2024. Non-plug-in hybrid cars are worth €38 billion, unchanged from the previous year, while plug-in hybrid cars rise to €33 billion from €27 billion.

That translates into 21% of total EU production value for electric cars, 12% for non-plug-in hybrids and 10% for plug-in hybrids. The figures indicate that electrified vehicles are becoming a larger contributor to the region's automotive manufacturing base, both by output and by value.

China is the EU's largest import partner for electric cars, accounting for 42% of all such imports. South Korea follows with 27% and Japan with 9%.

On the export side, the UK is the top destination for EU electric cars with a 35% share, followed by the U.S. and Norway, each at 14%.

Our earlier coverage of European automakers’ retro-inspired EV strategy described how brands such as Renault, Volkswagen, Stellantis and Citroen are reviving iconic model names and design cues to defend their home market against lower-cost Chinese electric vehicles. The piece noted that while nostalgia can help differentiate products and support sales in price-sensitive segments, executives stress it must be matched with advances like faster charging and autonomy to stay competitive.

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