New hybrid car sales overtake diesel in Europe

Quantum Commodity Intelligence - Gasoline and diesel cars continued to lose market share to electric and hybrid vehicles in the second quarter in Europe, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.

Combustion only engine sales dropped to 60.6% of new car registrations in the EU, Iceland, Switzerland and the UK between May and June, down from almost 80% a year earlier.

The market share of new diesel cars dropped to 18.5%, down from 27.9% in the second quarter of 2020, and gasoline cars dropped to 42.2%, down from 52% a year earlier.

Demand for hybrid cars strongly increased during this three-month period, accounting for 20.3% of car registrations in Europe.

The market share of battery electric vehicles also almost doubled from 4.5% in the second quarter of 2020 to 8.5% this year.

Plug-in hybrids made up 8.4% of all new cars sold.