Italy has the oldest car fleet in Europe and electric cars do not reach the 4% mark

The fleet of cars on the road continues to grow, despite the market slowing down, with rechargeable cars - electric or plug-in - remaining limited to less than 4%, a share that drops even further if only full electric models are considered.

"Although battery electric cars have become the third most popular option for new car buyers, capturing almost 17 per cent of EU registrations so far in 2025," Acea writes, "they still only account for 2.3 per cent of all cars on the roads, underlining the significant gap that remains to be bridged to achieve widespread zero-emission mobility.

Acea's snapshot of the car world shows that Europe has 256 million cars in circulation, 1.4% more in 2024 than in 2023, with Italy holding the record for the highest number of vehicles per thousand inhabitants. The average age of cars and vans, which account for 98% of the total fleet, is gradually increasing, with an impact on air quality.

The report highlights how slow is the process of electrification of mobility, and how tools are needed to accelerate the renewal of the circulating fleet. "The current regulatory framework should be revised to favour a broader set of enabling conditions," Acea urges, "such as recharging infrastructure and purchase and tax incentives, to stimulate demand for new models and renew vehicles on European roads with the cleanest and most sustainable models.

Rechargeable cars, bev and plug-in, rose from 3% in 2023 to 3.7% in 2024 (while they reached a 7.5% share of total registrations last year). Looking at light commercial vehicles, there are 31.1 million of them on the road, with a share of 'rechargeable', Acea estimates, rising from 1.3 to 1.9 per cent. Finally, trucks, there are 6.2 million on the roads in Europe, with an average age of around 14 years, and only 0.9 per cent are electric versus 0.3 in 2024.