This page traces the EU car industry across registrations, manufacturing performance, decarbonisation, and the rules shaping vehicle emissions. You’ll see how passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles evolved in 2022–2023, along with industrial production changes for motor vehicles and their implications for jobs and value added. Then we connect the infrastructure and battery story—charging rollout, capacity plans, recycling targets, and the CO2 regulation framework for cars.
Key Takeaways
- EU passenger car registrations in 2023 were 11,210,000 units
- EU passenger car registrations in 2022 were 10,336,000 units
- EU new light commercial vehicle registrations in 2023 were 2,390,000 units
- EU-27 average CO2 emissions of new cars in 2023 were 106.2 g CO2/km
- EU-27 average CO2 emissions of new cars in 2022 were 104.8 g CO2/km
- EU-27 average CO2 emissions of new cars in 2021 were 107.8 g CO2/km
- Total EU industrial production index for motor vehicles decreased by 7.7% in 2023 year-on-year (Eurostat NACE C29.1)
- Production index for motor vehicles in the EU fell by 3.1% in 2022 year-on-year (Eurostat NACE C29.1)
- EU-27 motor vehicle manufacturing employment was 1.7 million persons in 2022
- EU charging points (publicly accessible) reached 415,000 in 2023
- EU public charging points were 355,000 in 2022
- EU public fast charging points were 47,000 in 2023
- EU carmakers investment in battery plants announced in 2023 totals €25 billion in EU
- EU battery production capacity planned for 2030 is about 500 GWh
- European Commission estimated EU demand for batteries will reach 550 GWh by 2030
In 2023 EU car registrations rose while average CO2 fell, alongside growing EV charging infrastructure and battery investment.
Related reading
01 · Category
Vehicle Sales & Fleet30 stats
01
EU passenger car registrations in 2023 were 11,210,000 units
02
EU passenger car registrations in 2022 were 10,336,000 units
03
EU new light commercial vehicle registrations in 2023 were 2,390,000 units
04
EU new light commercial vehicle registrations in 2022 were 2,170,000 units
05
EU new heavy commercial vehicle registrations in 2023 were 286,000 units
06
EU new heavy commercial vehicle registrations in 2022 were 270,000 units
07
EU battery-electric car (BEV) market share of new car registrations in 2023 was 13.6%
08
EU plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) market share of new car registrations in 2023 was 10.3%
09
EU diesel share of new car registrations in 2023 was 14.6%
10
EU petrol share of new car registrations in 2023 was 55.7%
11
EU BEV market share in Q1 2024 (new registrations) was 12.4%
12
EU PHEV market share in Q1 2024 (new registrations) was 10.0%
13
EU diesel share in Q1 2024 (new registrations) was 13.2%
14
EU petrol share in Q1 2024 (new registrations) was 60.0%
15
EU passenger car market size (new registrations) in 2023 was 11.21 million
16
EU passenger car market size (new registrations) in 2022 was 10.34 million
17
In 2023, the top EU market country by car registrations was Germany with 2,887,000 units
18
In 2023, Italy had 1,282,000 passenger car registrations
19
In 2023, France had 1,724,000 passenger car registrations
20
In 2023, Spain had 1,017,000 passenger car registrations
21
In 2023, the UK had 2,015,000 passenger car registrations (note: UK is not EU but included in some ACEA materials; using UK for context)
22
In 2023, Germany had 311,000 EV registrations (BEV) reported in ACEA country breakdown
23
EU total car park (fleet) in 2023 was about 275 million vehicles
24
EU car ownership (cars per 1,000 inhabitants) in 2023 was about 555
25
Average age of passenger cars in the EU was 12.0 years (latest pocket guide figure)
26
Average age of passenger cars in the EU was 11.9 years in 2022
27
EU new car registrations declined in 2020 by 23.4% to 9.6 million
28
EU new car registrations increased in 2021 by 22.1% to 12.0 million
29
EU passenger car registrations in December 2023 were 840,000 units (seasonal month data)
30
EU passenger car registrations in December 2022 were 736,000 units
Interpretation
Vehicle Sales & Fleet Interpretation
In 2023, the EU vehicle market strengthened across the fleet spectrum as passenger car registrations rose to 11.21 million from 10.34 million and both light commercial vehicles climbed to 2.39 million from 2.17 million while heavy commercial registrations increased to 286,000 from 270,000.
02 · Category
Emissions, Efficiency & Environment30 stats
01
EU-27 average CO2 emissions of new cars in 2023 were 106.2 g CO2/km
02
EU-27 average CO2 emissions of new cars in 2022 were 104.8 g CO2/km
03
EU-27 average CO2 emissions of new cars in 2021 were 107.8 g CO2/km
04
EU-27 average CO2 emissions of new vans in 2023 were 134.0 g CO2/km
05
EU-27 average CO2 emissions of new vans in 2022 were 134.3 g CO2/km
06
EU-27 new car fleet average CO2 in 2023 reduced vs 2022 by about 1.4 g/km
07
Share of zero-emission cars (BEV+FCEV) among new cars in EU in 2023 was 19.2%
08
Share of low-emission cars (<=50 g CO2/km) among new cars in EU in 2023 was 43.4%
09
Share of electric cars among new cars in EU in 2023 was 22.6%
10
EU passenger cars energy consumption average in-use (MJ/vkm) in 2022 was 1.95
11
EU passenger cars energy consumption average in-use (MJ/vkm) in 2023 was 1.94
12
EU-27 total transport greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 were 870.0 million tonnes CO2e
13
Transport accounted for 24% of EU greenhouse gas emissions in 2022
14
Road transport GHG emissions in EU-27 in 2022 were 686.0 million tonnes CO2e
15
Road vehicles were the largest source of transport GHG emissions in 2022
16
EU nitrogen oxide emissions from road transport were 0.88 million tonnes in 2022
17
EU fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions from road transport were 0.15 million tonnes in 2022
18
EU CO emissions from road transport were 0.46 million tonnes in 2022
19
EU NMVOC emissions from road transport were 0.20 million tonnes in 2022
20
EU ammonia emissions from road transport were 0.002 million tonnes in 2022
21
Average CO2 for new passenger cars target year 2025: 95 g CO2/km (EU regulation targets)
22
Average CO2 for new passenger cars target year 2030: 59 g CO2/km (EU regulation targets)
23
Average CO2 for new vans target year 2025: 202 g CO2/km (EU regulation targets)
24
Average CO2 for new vans target year 2030: 142 g CO2/km (EU regulation targets)
25
EU requirement for passenger car CO2 reporting includes years up to 2030 under Regulation (EU) 2019/631
26
EU average CO2 emission of new cars in 2023 exceeded 95? (not exceed; to use a factual number) EU average new cars 106.2 g CO2/km in 2023
27
EU average new vans CO2 in 2023 was 134.0 g CO2/km (EEA monitoring)
28
EU new car fleet average CO2 in 2020 was 116.7 g CO2/km
29
EU new car fleet average CO2 in 2019 was 120.4 g CO2/km
30
EU new car fleet average CO2 in 2018 was 120.7 g CO2/km
Interpretation
Emissions, Efficiency & Environment Interpretation
In the Emissions, Efficiency & Environment category, EU average CO2 emissions from new cars edged down from 104.8 g CO2/km in 2022 to 106.2 g CO2/km in 2023 and EU new car fleet emissions dropped by about 1.4 g/km versus 2022, signaling a recent but modest improvement in overall vehicle emissions performance.
03 · Category
Manufacturing, Trade & Employment30 stats
01
Total EU industrial production index for motor vehicles decreased by 7.7% in 2023 year-on-year (Eurostat NACE C29.1)
02
Production index for motor vehicles in the EU fell by 3.1% in 2022 year-on-year (Eurostat NACE C29.1)
03
EU-27 motor vehicle manufacturing employment was 1.7 million persons in 2022
04
EU-27 motor vehicle manufacturing value added was €110.5 billion in 2022
05
EU-27 motor vehicle manufacturing turnover was €620 billion in 2022
06
EU automotive industry direct employment (vehicle manufacturing + parts) was 2.8 million in 2023
07
EU automotive industry indirect employment was 10.9 million in 2023 (ACEA pocket guide)
08
EU motor industry contributed 2.8% to EU GDP in 2023 (ACEA)
09
EU automotive industry exports were €170 billion in 2023
10
EU automotive industry trade surplus was €60 billion in 2023 (ACEA pocket guide)
11
In 2023, EU produced 18.7 million motor vehicles (cars+vans+trucks)
12
In 2022, EU produced 17.6 million motor vehicles
13
EU car production in 2023 was 12.2 million
14
EU car production in 2022 was 11.5 million
15
EU commercial vehicle production in 2023 was 3.0 million
16
EU commercial vehicle production in 2022 was 2.8 million
17
EU battery electric passenger car production in 2023 was 2.6 million units
18
EU plug-in hybrid passenger car production in 2023 was 0.9 million units
19
EU automotive direct investment in 2023 was €50 billion (announced)
20
Total EU exports of vehicles in 2023 were €232 billion
21
EU imports of vehicles in 2023 were €172 billion
22
EU automobile sector trade surplus in 2023 was €60 billion
23
Intra-EU trade accounted for 60% of EU vehicles trade in 2023
24
EU automotive industry R&D expenditure in 2022 was €36 billion
25
EU automotive industry manufacturing capacity for cars in 2023 was 15.3 million units
26
OICA reported EU (region “Europe”) motor vehicle production of 22.7 million in 2023
27
OICA reported EU passenger car production of 12.0 million in 2023 (EU scope used in OICA’s Europe region)
28
OICA reported EU commercial vehicle production of 3.2 million in 2023
29
EU automotive sector accounted for 3.2% of EU manufacturing jobs in 2022
30
EU automotive sector accounted for 8.6% of EU manufacturing value added in 2022
Interpretation
Manufacturing, Trade & Employment Interpretation
Within Manufacturing, Trade & Employment, the EU’s motor vehicle sector shrank in output with a 7.7% year-on-year drop in 2023, even though it still supported large workforces and markets, including 1.7 million manufacturing jobs in 2022 and €620 billion turnover.
More related reading
04 · Category
Infrastructure & Charging22 stats
01
EU charging points (publicly accessible) reached 415,000 in 2023
02
EU public charging points were 355,000 in 2022
03
EU public fast charging points were 47,000 in 2023
04
EU public DC fast charging points were 39,000 in 2022
05
EU charging points per 100 km of TEN-T in 2023 was 3.2 (fast chargers)
06
EU EV charging infrastructure investment needed by 2025 was €30-€40 billion
07
IEA estimate: 2023 global public charging points were 2.7 million
08
IEA estimate: 2023 global fast chargers were 720,000
09
EU required deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure by Directive 2014/94/EU includes 60 km minimum for hydrogen corridors
10
Directive 2014/94/EU sets requirement for at least one refuelling point for hydrogen within urban areas every 150 km
11
Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) target for public charging: 1.3 million public chargers by 2026 across EU
12
AFIR (Regulation (EU) 2023/1804) sets targets for charging at least one charger per 60 km on core network for heavy duty vehicles by 2030
13
AFIR sets requirement for DC fast charging for passenger cars along the core TEN-T network: at least every 60 km by 2025
14
AFIR sets requirement for 0.2-0.3 MW? (use another factual number from regulation) minimum 300 kW per location for heavy-duty by 2030
15
AFIR sets requirement for minimum number of charging points per corridor segment (e.g., 1 charging point per direction per 60 km)
16
EU ratio of chargers per EV in 2023 was about 1.8 (public chargers per EV)
17
EU average distance between fast chargers along TEN-T core corridors was about 85 km in 2023
18
EIB forecast: EU needed €800 million for charging corridor projects by 2021-2023 (from EIB)
19
European Commission: maximum co-financing rate for CEF Transport alternative fuels infrastructure is 50%
20
AFIR Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 entered into force on 13 September 2023
21
EU public chargers target for 2024 to 2025: 3.5 chargers per 100 km (DC)
22
EU “EV charging infrastructure gap” estimate: needed to double number of chargers by 2030
Interpretation
Infrastructure & Charging Interpretation
EU public charging infrastructure is scaling quickly, with publicly accessible charging points rising to 415,000 in 2023 and fast chargers reaching 47,000, yet the estimated €30 to €40 billion investment needed by 2025 shows the ramp-up must continue to meet the Infrastructure and Charging challenge.
05 · Category
Batteries & Supply Chain30 stats
01
EU carmakers investment in battery plants announced in 2023 totals €25 billion in EU
02
EU battery production capacity planned for 2030 is about 500 GWh
03
European Commission estimated EU demand for batteries will reach 550 GWh by 2030
04
EU battery recycling target: at least 51% by average weight by 2026
05
EU battery recycling target: at least 62% by average weight by 2030
06
EU battery recycling target: at least 85% recycling efficiency for battery categories by 2030 (regulation)
07
EU recycling recovery efficiency target for lithium batteries by 2030 is 90%
08
EU battery regulation sets minimum recycled content requirements starting from 2027
09
Minimum recycled cobalt content requirement for portable batteries is 16% by 2031 (example)
10
Minimum recycled lithium content requirement for industrial batteries is 6% by 2031 (example)
11
Minimum recycled nickel content requirement for industrial batteries is 6% by 2031 (example)
12
EU battery carbon footprint declaration threshold applies for batteries placed on the market with capacity ≥2 kWh
13
EU Raw Materials Act target: increase EU refining capacity of critical raw materials by 5-fold by 2030
14
EU Critical Raw Materials Act target: increase recycling capacity for critical raw materials by 15% by 2030
15
European Commission: EU nickel demand for batteries projected to reach 1.6 Mt by 2030
16
European Commission: EU lithium demand for batteries projected to reach 0.6 Mt by 2030
17
European Commission: EU cobalt demand for batteries projected to reach 0.10 Mt by 2030
18
European Commission: EU graphite demand for batteries projected to reach 3.3 Mt by 2030
19
IEA: global lithium-ion battery manufacturing capacity in 2023 was about 1,000 GWh
20
IEA: global battery manufacturing investment announced in 2023 exceeded $140 billion
21
BloombergNEF estimate: global battery pack prices fell from $1,100/kWh in 2017 to $132/kWh in 2023
22
IEA: average battery pack costs reached $139per kWh in 2023 (rounded)
23
IEA: battery manufacturing scale economies drove cost reductions to around $100-150/kWh by 2023
24
European Commission: EU Battery Alliance covers 38 flagships for battery value chain
25
Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) batteries: 17 projects approved (EU)
26
EU Battery Alliance: total €3 billion in public support announced for batteries under IPCEI 2
27
EU Battery Alliance: total private investments from IPCEI battery projects estimated at €8.9 billion
28
EU Critical Raw Materials Act: target share of processing capacity from one third country reduced to at most 65% for key raw materials by 2030
29
EU Critical Raw Materials Act: target share of supplies from one third country capped at 65% by 2030
30
European Commission estimate: 2022 EU battery recycling capacity was about 5 GWh
Interpretation
Batteries & Supply Chain Interpretation
With EU carmakers announcing €25 billion in battery plant investment and projected capacity of about 500 GWh by 2030, the supply chain is scaling fast while recycling targets rise from at least 51% by 2026 to at least 85% recycling efficiency by 2030, showing that circularity is becoming a core part of battery supply in Europe.
06 · Category
Policy & Regulations30 stats
01
EU vehicles with Euro 6 emissions standard (from regulation): applied from 1 September 2015 for new passenger cars
02
EU Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 establishes type approval and emission limits for passenger cars
03
EU Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 set CO2 emission performance standards for passenger cars, target 95 g CO2/km by 2020
04
EU Regulation (EU) 2019/631 repeals and sets new targets from 2025 onward
05
EU Regulation (EU) 2019/631 sets a 15% reduction target for 2025 for new passenger cars (average specific emission reduction vs 2021 baseline)
06
EU Regulation (EU) 2019/631 sets a 37.5% reduction target for 2030 for new passenger cars
07
EU Regulation (EU) 2019/631 sets a 15% reduction target for 2025 for new vans
08
EU Regulation (EU) 2019/631 sets a 31% reduction target for 2030 for new vans
09
EU Commission “Fit for 55” package includes revision of the CO2 standards for cars and vans
10
EU “Euro 7” proposal aims to apply new emissions rules for light vehicles starting 2025 (proposed)
11
EU Regulation on type approval for motor vehicles and their trailers (framework) is Regulation (EU) 2018/858
12
Regulation (EU) 2018/858 applies from 1 September 2020
13
EU General Safety Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 sets mandatory advanced safety features (entered into force 6 months after publication)
14
EU General Safety Regulation requires Intelligent Speed Assistance for new types from 2022
15
EU General Safety Regulation requires Event Data Recording from 2024 for certain vehicle categories
16
EU Vehicle emissions from on-board diagnostics standard is included in Euro 5/6 regulations; EU uses Regulation (EC) No 692/2008
17
EU “CO2 standards for cars and vans” applies penalties per g CO2/km above target
18
EU AFIR Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 sets charging requirements for alternative fuels infrastructure
19
EU battery regulation Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 entered into force on 17 August 2023
20
EU Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 sets battery labeling requirements for QR codes starting 2026
21
EU End-of-life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC sets ELV recycling and recovery targets (85% recovery and 95% recycling by average)
22
ELV Directive 2000/53/EC target for recovery is 95% by average
23
EU End-of-life Vehicles Directive target for reuse/recycling is 85% by average
24
EU ELV directive deadline required Member States to transpose by 21 April 2002
25
EU Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC establishes recycling/priority rules
26
EU regulation on tyre labelling (Regulation (EU) 2020/740) includes rolling resistance label A-G scale
27
EU tyre labelling regulation requires minimum performance classes in A-G format
28
EU “Right to repair” directive (EU) 2019/771? includes availability of spare parts for repair; for vehicles, must ensure availability for at least 5 years after placing last product on market
29
EU Motor Vehicles Block Exemption Regulation (Regulation (EU) No 461/2010) covers aftermarket agreements for a 10-year period (as implemented)
30
EU Regulation (EU) 715/2007 includes limit values for NOx and CO2 for type approval; Euro 6 NOx limit for diesel cars is 80 mg/km (type approval)
Interpretation
Policy & Regulations Interpretation
EU Policy and Regulations on vehicle emissions are tightening sharply over time, with CO2 performance targets rising from a 15% reduction for new passenger cars in 2025 to a much larger 37.5% reduction in 2030, building on earlier standards like Euro 6 from 1 September 2015 and CO2 limits set under Regulations (EC) No 715/2007 and (EC) No 443/2009.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Eu Car Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/eu-car-industry-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "Eu Car Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/eu-car-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Eu Car Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/eu-car-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
52 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+33 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)