Electric and hybrid vehicles accounted for 43% of sales of new cars in the EU in the third quarter, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed on Thursday.
Fully electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hybrids made up less than 40% of sales in the same period last year, the association said.
More than one in 10 cars sold, or 11.9%, was a fully electric, zero-emission model as sales of these rose 22% compared with the third quarter of 2021.
The EU has backed an effective ban on new fossil-fuel vehicles from 2035, so eventually all cars will have to be zero-emission models.
National and local governments have been pulling back on subsidies for plug-in hybrids in favour of fully electric cars. Sales of the former fell 6% during the third quarter.
Petrol car sales were down 3.3%, but these vehicles remained the most popular in the EU, with 37.8% of sales.
Diesel cars accounted for 16.5%, after a 4.7% drop year on year.
As recently as 2015, diesel vehicles accounted for nearly 52% of EU car sales, but sales have fallen continuously in the wake of Volkswagen's "Dieselgate" emissions-cheating scandal.
EVs and hybrids account for 43% of third-quarter EU new car sales
Electric and hybrid vehicles accounted for 43% of sales of new cars in the EU in the third quarter, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) showed on Thursday.
Fully electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and hybrids made up less than 40% of sales in the same period last year, the association said.
More than one in 10 cars sold, or 11.9%, was a fully electric, zero-emission model as sales of these rose 22% compared with the third quarter of 2021.
The EU has backed an effective ban on new fossil-fuel vehicles from 2035, so eventually all cars will have to be zero-emission models.
National and local governments have been pulling back on subsidies for plug-in hybrids in favour of fully electric cars. Sales of the former fell 6% during the third quarter.
Petrol car sales were down 3.3%, but these vehicles remained the most popular in the EU, with 37.8% of sales.
Diesel cars accounted for 16.5%, after a 4.7% drop year on year.
As recently as 2015, diesel vehicles accounted for nearly 52% of EU car sales, but sales have fallen continuously in the wake of Volkswagen's "Dieselgate" emissions-cheating scandal.
MORE: