Proof petrol could be on the way out: Electric vehicle sales top petrol-only for the first time ever in Europe as they hunt down hybrid alternatives

Sales of electric vehicles surpassed petrol-only sales in Europe for the first time ever in December 2025, according to Reuters.

This equated to 22.6 per cent of total cars registered for December, edging past petrol-only at 22.5 per cent.

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Petrol and diesel sales suffered the biggest sales losses in Europe in 2025.

Electric vehicle popularity has persisted in Europe despite various external factors threatening to curb its progress.

The European Union has rolled back its 2035 internal-combustion engine total ban, with no 100 per cent CO2 reduction in place.

There are also 35 per cent tariffs still in place for Chinese-imported electric vehicles, on top of a 10 per cent foreign car tariff.

While this change has forced many Chinese brands to prioritise hybrid and internal combustion vehicles in Europe, EV sales are still increasing.  

Chinese brand BYD recently overtook Tesla for sales of electrical vehicles globally. 

This is the first time EVs have overtaken petrol in Europe, but it's expected it will still be at least five years before they are the leading source of sales overall. 

Other electrified set-ups including plug-less and plug-in hybrids are currently the most popular choice for buyers.

Many previously petrol-only models are being replaced with hybrid options by brands ahead of electric-only.

"It will still take around ​half a decade before pure electric cars genuinely overtake combustion-engine models across the region, but this is nonetheless a start," independent automotive analyst Matthias Schmidt told Reuters.

There has been a similar trend in Australia, with electrified vehicles outselling petrol cars for the first time in December. 

Plug-in and plug-less hybrids are leading the way in Australia, taking over from petrol and diesel alternatives. 

Many brands Down Under have begun a similar process to their counterparts in Europe, phasing out petrol-only models in favour of hybrid set-ups. 

Toyota now only sells many of its popular models as hybrid-only, including some of Australia's best sellers such as the RAV4 and Kluger SUVs.