Inside Europe’s powertrain mix: a data-driven view

Europe’s electrification story is often told through a single number: the EU average share of EVs. But the day-to-day reality for manufacturers, suppliers, infrastructure players and policymakers is shaped by something more practical: the full powertrain mix. How BEV, PHEV, HEV and ICE coexist, and how that balance varies across countries and brands. The ACEA:intelligence Electrically Chargeable Vehicles in the EU 2026 (Passenger Cars) report offers a clear, comparable way to look at that mix (data coverage: through end-2024; regular updates will follow as new data becomes available).

“Powertrain strategy doesn’t live in one headline metric — it lives in the mix.”

First, a shared language: what “electrified” means in the data

In the report, Electrically Chargeable Vehicles (ECV) include BEV and PHEV (with EREV included within PHEV), while HEV includes MHEV in the fuel mix view. This matters because many market conversations mix definitions, which can create confusion when comparing countries or time periods. Having consistent categories is what makes the comparisons meaningful.

The sales mix is shifting, and in many countries it has already crossed a threshold

One of the report’s most operationally relevant findings is not limited to BEV share alone. It shows that in more than half of European countries, ECV and HEV combined have overtaken pure ICE sales. This is a concrete signal of how quickly the “centre of gravity” is moving in new registrations.

At EU level, the report also indicates that ECVs represent around one-fifth of the market, and that share rises to roughly half when HEVs are included. That’s an important framing: even where BEV growth is uneven, the wider shift toward electrified powertrains is already visible in the composition of new sales.

What this tells us is simple: the transition is not only about one technology replacing another overnight. It is a progressive reshaping of the mix, market by market.

BEV, PHEV, HEV: three different roles in the same transition

Looking inside the mix also clarifies why countries can appear to move “faster” or “slower” depending on which powertrain you track.

A particularly useful insight from the report is that national pathways can diverge: it highlights cases where PHEV sales rise while BEV sales decline, and other cases where the opposite pattern occurs. This is exactly why “EV share” as a single concept can be too coarse for understanding what is happening on the ground.

“Electrification is not one line. It’s a portfolio of pathways.”

Brand and group mixes: electrification is advancing, but not evenly

The report’s brand and group views add another layer to the powertrain mix conversation. It shows that only a small number of brands still have a majority of pure ICE in their sales mix, and that electrified vehicles are increasingly taking over—while some major groups still sell more pure ICE than electrified vehicles. This helps move the discussion from “market trend” to “competitive and portfolio reality.”

At EU level, the report also provides a simple market structure snapshot: ECV vs ICE vs other EV market shares, which is useful for communicating the overall balance without over focusing on a single sub-segment.

Why this matters for industry operations (without over-interpreting the numbers)

A changing powertrain mix has tangible implications across the value chain. Even without drawing conclusions beyond the data, the direction of travel is clear: the operational environment is becoming multi-powertrain for longer than many expected.

Three practical observations from the report’s mix view:

1. Country dispersion is structural. Fuel mix by country shows that Europe doesn’t move as a single bloc; planning for “Europe” often means planning for multiple national profiles.

2. Electrification is broader than BEV. The combined weight of ECV + HEV in many markets explains why electrification progress can be visible even when BEV share is temporarily flat.

3. Portfolio reality matters. Brand/group mix charts illustrate that electrification is advancing across the market, but at different speeds and with different technology choices.

Key insight

Europe’s transition is best understood through the powertrain mix, not a single average. The ACEA:intelligence report shows a market where electrified technologies (ECV + HEV) are already reshaping sales composition across many countries, while BEV and PHEV follow different national patterns—and ICE remains a significant part of the picture in several portfolios

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Discover more

This article draws on the ACEA:intelligence Electrically Chargeable Vehicles in the EU 2026 (Passenger Cars) report, which integrates registrations, powertrain definitions, country comparisons, and brand/group mix views in a single consistent framework. 

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