The European auto industry exported vehicles worth €223 billion despite a 6.2% drop in overall production. This article examines the sector's economic weight, its accelerating shift to electric vehicles, and the challenges shaping its next phase.
Key Takeaways
- EU auto industry exports totaled €223 billion in 2022.
- BEV sales in EU reached 2.4 million units in 2023, up 37% from 2022.
- The EU automotive sector employed 13.8 million people directly and indirectly in 2022.
- In 2022, the European Union produced 13.4 million passenger cars, marking a 6.2% decline from 2021 due to supply chain disruptions.
- EU new car registrations reached 10.6 million units in 2022, a 2% increase from 2021.
European auto production is steadily recovering, signaling resilient demand and improving industry conditions.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic and Trade Figures23 stats
01
EU auto industry exports totaled €223 billion in 2022.
02
Automotive trade surplus in EU was €87 billion in 2022.
03
Germany exported €130 billion in vehicles in 2022, 58% of EU total.
04
EU vehicle imports rose 15% to €136 billion in 2022.
05
Auto sector contributed 7% to EU manufacturing value added in 2022.
06
Turnover of EU auto manufacturers was €775 billion in 2022.
07
Investments in EU auto industry reached €42 billion in 2022.
08
France's auto trade balance was €5.2 billion surplus in 2022.
09
EU-China auto trade deficit widened to €50 billion in 2022.
10
UK exported 128,000 cars to EU in 2022, down 20% post-Brexit.
11
EU parts and components exports hit €120 billion in 2022.
12
Automotive sector generated €190 billion in taxes for EU governments in 2022.
13
Automotive value added €300 billion to EU GDP in 2022.
14
EU-US auto trade €100 billion annually pre-2023.
15
Italy exported €47 billion vehicles 2022.
16
EU intra-trade 70% of total auto trade volume 2022.
17
Turnover of EU parts suppliers €450 billion 2022.
18
Auto investments in digitalization €15 billion 2022.
19
Czech auto exports €50 billion, 80% to EU 2022.
20
EU tariffs on Chinese EVs proposed 20-38% in 2024.
21
Slovakia GDP contribution from auto 12% in 2022.
22
EU auto retail sales value €400 billion 2022.
23
Germany trade surplus auto €100 billion 2022.
Interpretation
Economic and Trade Figures Interpretation
The European auto industry remains a formidable economic engine, as evidenced by its staggering €223 billion export haul and healthy trade surplus, but it’s simultaneously navigating a pothole-filled road of surging imports, a yawning deficit with China, and the expensive digital transformation required to stay in the race.
02 · Category
Electric Vehicles and Sustainability27 stats
01
BEV sales in EU reached 2.4 million units in 2023, up 37% from 2022.
02
EU CO2 emissions from new cars averaged 108.4 g/km in 2022, down 3.5%.
03
23.5% of new EU car registrations were electrified (BEV+PHEV+HEV) in 2023.
04
EU has 450,000 public EV charging points as of end-2023, up 50% from 2022.
05
Volkswagen invested €30 billion in electrification by 2025, with 70 EV models planned.
06
Northvolt's gigafactory in Sweden to produce 60 GWh batteries annually by 2024.
07
EU battery production capacity to reach 700 GWh by 2030 under IPCEI projects.
08
14.6% BEV market share in EU new registrations Q1 2024.
09
PHEV registrations down 29% to 192,000 units in Q1 2024 in EU.
10
EU recycling rate for ELVs (end-of-life vehicles) achieved 95.2% in 2022.
11
Mercedes-Benz aims for 50% EV sales in Europe by 2030.
12
BMW i-series sales grew 74% in Europe in 2023.
13
EU hydrogen fuel cell vehicle registrations totaled 2,100 in 2022.
14
65% of EU consumers consider EVs for next purchase per 2023 survey.
15
EU public fast chargers grew to 200,000 by 2023.
16
CO2 targets: EU fleet average to 93.6 g/km by 2025.
17
2023 EU BEV registrations 2.65 million cumulative.
18
ACCURE battery recycling plant in Germany processes 15,000 tons/year.
19
EU Green Deal invests €100 billion in sustainable mobility by 2030.
20
Norway (EEA) 89% BEV share in 2023.
21
EU spent €25 billion on battery R&D 2018-2023.
22
Renault's Gigafactory France to produce 40 GWh by 2025.
23
30% of EU fleet to be zero-emission by 2030 mandate.
24
Hydrogen refueling stations in EU: 178 in 2023.
25
EU auto patents in EV tech: 25,000 in 2022.
26
Fiat 500e top small BEV with 65,000 sales EU 2023.
27
EU vehicle scrappage schemes recycled 8 million ELVs in 2022.
Interpretation
Electric Vehicles and Sustainability Interpretation
While Europe's auto industry is furiously rewiring itself, charging into an electric future with the speed of a DC fast charger, it's still grappling with the legacy exhaust fumes of its past and the need to build a grid to power it all.
03 · Category
Employment Data24 stats
01
The EU automotive sector employed 13.8 million people directly and indirectly in 2022.
02
Germany had 866,000 direct automotive jobs in 2022, 28% of EU total.
03
Automotive manufacturing in EU supported 6.5 million indirect jobs in 2022.
04
France's auto industry employed 540,000 people in 2022, including suppliers.
05
Spain's automotive sector provided 350,000 jobs in 2022, with growth in EV assembly.
06
R&D in EU auto industry employed 400,000 engineers and specialists in 2022.
07
Automotive apprenticeships in Germany reached 55,000 in 2022.
08
EU auto sector saw 2.5% employment growth in battery production from 2021-2022.
09
Italy's auto workforce totaled 240,000 in 2022, focused on design and components.
10
UK automotive employment stood at 183,000 direct jobs in 2022 post-Brexit.
11
Women represented 22% of EU auto industry workforce in 2022.
12
Average hourly labor cost in EU auto manufacturing was €32.5 in 2021.
13
EU invested €60 billion in automotive R&D in 2022, 5.5% of global total.
14
Germany employment in auto suppliers 500,000 in 2022.
15
EU auto R&D spend per employee €12,000 annually in 2022.
16
Romania's auto jobs grew to 130,000 in 2022.
17
Portugal employed 70,000 in auto sector 2022.
18
Average age of auto workers in EU 44 years in 2022.
19
15% rise in EV-related jobs in EU 2021-2023.
20
UK lost 12,000 auto jobs since 2019 Brexit impact.
21
Volvo Cars employed 38,000 in Europe 2022.
22
EU auto training programs reached 200,000 participants in 2022.
23
Labor productivity in EU auto up 2.1% in 2022.
24
EU gigafactory jobs projected 100,000 by 2025.
Interpretation
Employment Data Interpretation
While Germany shoulders the engine room with over a third of the EU's direct jobs, the continent's auto industry is a 13.8-million-person juggernaut, meticulously retooling its workforce through massive R&D and training to power an electric future, though not without sputtering from Brexit losses and a persistent gender gap in the rearview mirror.
More related reading
04 · Category
Production Statistics23 stats
01
In 2022, the European Union produced 13.4 million passenger cars, marking a 6.2% decline from 2021 due to supply chain disruptions.
02
Germany led EU passenger car production in 2022 with 3.6 million units, accounting for 27% of total EU output.
03
Spain produced 2.2 million vehicles in 2022, including 1.8 million passenger cars, boosted by foreign investments.
04
France's vehicle production reached 1.65 million units in 2022, with a focus on light commercial vehicles at 0.85 million.
05
EU commercial vehicle production totaled 2.4 million units in 2022, down 9.1% from the previous year.
06
In Q1 2023, EU passenger car production fell 20.7% year-on-year to 2.79 million units amid chip shortages.
07
Volkswagen Group produced 4.1 million vehicles in Europe in 2022, holding 22% market share in production.
08
Stellantis manufactured 2.8 million vehicles in Europe in 2022, with Italy as a key hub.
09
BMW Group produced 1.18 million cars in Europe in 2022, emphasizing premium segments.
10
Renault Group output in Europe was 1.6 million vehicles in 2022, down due to semiconductor issues.
11
EU battery electric vehicle (BEV) production surged 40% to 1.2 million units in 2022.
12
Hybrid electric vehicle production in EU rose 25% to 2.1 million units in 2022.
13
Engine production in EU totaled 11.5 million units in 2022, with diesel engines at 3.2 million.
14
EU passenger car production in 2021 was 14.2 million units before decline.
15
Czech Republic produced 1.25 million vehicles in 2022, per capita leader.
16
Slovakia's output was 1.05 million cars in 2022, 17% of GDP from auto.
17
Hungary manufactured 0.44 million vehicles in 2022, growing 5%.
18
Poland's commercial vehicle production up 10% to 0.55 million in 2022.
19
EU powertrain production included 5.8 million petrol engines in 2022.
20
Stellantis Sevel plant in Italy produced 260,000 vans in 2022.
21
Ford's Cologne plant output 0.45 million vehicles in 2022.
22
In 2023 H1, EU car production recovered 12% to 7.1 million units.
23
BEV production in Germany alone was 0.65 million in 2022.
Interpretation
Production Statistics Interpretation
Despite a painful supply-chain hangover causing a 6.2% decline, Europe's auto industry was simultaneously plugging into the future, as a staggering 40% surge in electric vehicle production proved it was charging ahead even while stalling.
05 · Category
Sales and Registrations21 stats
01
EU new car registrations reached 10.6 million units in 2022, a 2% increase from 2021.
02
Germany topped new car sales in 2022 with 2.9 million registrations, 27% of EU total.
03
France registered 1.9 million new cars in 2022, up 0.9% year-on-year.
04
Italy's new car market grew 13% to 1.55 million units in 2022.
05
Spain saw 0.94 million new car registrations in 2022, down 4.4%.
06
Battery electric vehicles accounted for 11.9% of new car registrations in EU in 2022, totaling 1.26 million units.
07
Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) registrations in EU reached 1.14 million in 2022, 10.7% market share.
08
Volkswagen Group led EU sales with 15.7% market share in 2022, selling 1.67 million cars.
09
Stellantis held 19.2% market share with 2.03 million registrations in EU 2022.
10
Renault Group sales in EU were 1.36 million units in 2022, 12.8% share.
11
In Q1 2023, EU new car registrations dropped 19.8% to 2.84 million units.
12
BEV share in EU registrations fell to 10.7% in Q1 2023 from 12% prior year.
13
EU new light commercial vehicle registrations 2.1 million in 2022.
14
Netherlands led BEV market share at 29% of registrations in 2022.
15
Sweden's new car sales up 6% to 0.31 million in 2022.
16
Belgium registrations 0.48 million in 2022, diesel 35% share.
17
Austria saw 0.32 million new cars registered in 2022.
18
Tesla Model Y was top-selling car in EU 2023 with 251,000 units.
19
Dacia Sandero led affordable segment with 198,000 sales in 2022.
20
Toyota's hybrid sales in EU hit 0.56 million in 2022.
21
In Jan 2024, EU registrations up 1.3% to 993,068 units.
Interpretation
Sales and Registrations Interpretation
The European auto industry is cautiously revving its engines, with Germany firmly in the driver's seat, the electric transition hitting a temporary speed bump, and the entire market nervously eyeing the rearview mirror after a jarring first-quarter drop in 2023.
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
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). Europe Auto Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/europe-auto-industry-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "Europe Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/europe-auto-industry-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "Europe Auto Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/europe-auto-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
44 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level