Europe's Electric Car Sales Jump 51% in One Year

European car buyers are voting with their wallets, and electric vehicles are winning by a landslide.

Mercedes can't build its new GLC electric SUV fast enough. The Bremen factory now runs around the clock with three shifts daily, plus extra weekend shifts to meet demand. Anyone ordering today won't get their car until late 2026 because order books are completely full.

"Demand for the new all-electric GLC is significantly exceeding our expectations," said Mathias Geisen, Mercedes sales director. The company's new CLA sedan, launched a year ago, saw similar success.

BMW faces the same challenge with its iX3, the first model built on its next-generation electric platform. The automaker is adding production shifts earlier than planned at its Hungarian plant. Remarkably, a third of iX3 orders came from buyers switching from other brands, even though customers haven't test-driven the cars yet.

Both vehicles start around €70,000 and feature cutting-edge 800-volt charging technology. They compete directly in a market that's clearly hungry for premium electric options.

The numbers tell an even bigger story. Electric cars outsold gasoline vehicles across Europe for the first time ever in December 2025. Dealers moved 217,900 electric cars compared to 216,500 gas models that month.

Even more telling is the trend. Electric sales jumped 51% from the previous December, while gasoline sales dropped 19%. This happened despite the EU relaxing emissions rules that carmakers feared would hurt European manufacturers.

The Ripple Effect

This surge proves the electric transition isn't slowing down. It's accelerating on its own momentum, driven by better vehicles and genuine buyer interest rather than just regulations.

Chinese brands like BYD are making gains too, more than doubling December sales to 18,000 vehicles. Competition is heating up, which typically means better choices and lower prices for everyone.

Chris Heron of E-Mobility Europe said the milestone shows "the transition is working." Independent analyst Matthias Schmidt predicts electric cars will genuinely dominate combustion engines across Europe within five years.

BMW increased electric sales by 3.6% to 442,072 units in 2025, with EVs representing 18% of global sales. Mercedes sold 197,300 electric vehicles, about 9.4% of its worldwide total. Both companies see strong demand for their latest models as proof the market is maturing.

The message from European buyers is clear: given the right vehicles at the right price, they're ready to go electric now.