New car sales in the European Union continued to decline in February, with Croatia experiencing a drop almost twice as large as the European average, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).

In February, 854,000 new cars were registered across the EU, a 3.4% decrease compared to the same month last year. This marks the second consecutive month of declining sales, with the first two months of 2025 showing a 3% drop in new car registrations, reports HINA. 

Sales in Leading Markets
Among the largest European markets, only Spain saw a rise in car sales, with an 11% increase in February. In the first two months of this year, Spain's sales grew by 8.4%. On the other hand, Germany, the largest European market, saw a 6.4% decline in February, resulting in a 4.6% drop for the first two months. Italy also experienced a 6% decrease, while France saw a 3.3% drop.

In Croatia, 4,245 new cars were registered in February, which is 6.3% fewer than last year. January's figures showed a smaller decrease of 0.4%. For the first two months of 2025, Croatia's car market shrank by 3.4% compared to the same period last year, with 8,717 new cars registered.

Electric and Hybrid Cars on the Rise
Sales of battery electric vehicles in Europe grew by 23.7% in February, following a 34% increase at the start of the year. Spain led the way with a 60.6% jump in sales, while Italy and Germany also saw strong growth, up 38.2% and 30.8%, respectively. However, in France, sales of electric vehicles declined by 1.9%.

In the first two months of 2025, battery electric vehicles made up 15.2% of the European market. Sales of hybrid electric vehicles also grew by 19%, capturing 35.2% of the market.

Decline in Gasoline and Diesel Cars
Sales of gasoline and diesel cars continued to fall, with a decrease of 22.4% for gasoline cars and 28.8% for diesel vehicles in February. These types of cars now make up 29.1% and 9.7% of the European market, respectively.

In Croatia, the trend was similar. Sales of battery electric cars grew by 6% in February, while plug-in hybrids saw a significant increase of 48.9%. Hybrid electric car sales also grew by 12%, although at a slower pace than in January. Meanwhile, sales of gasoline cars dropped by 13.4%, and diesel car sales fell by 26.5%.