Brussels, January 27 (QNA) - The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association announced on Tuesday an increase in the growth rate of new car sales across the continent in December.

The association said in a report that new car sales in Europe rose by 5.8 percent last month, compared with 2.1 percent year on year in the previous November. However, it noted that total sales volume in 2025 remained below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

At the same time, the report showed that sales of battery-electric vehicles grew by 51 percent year on year last month, while sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles increased by 36.7 percent. Sales of hybrid electric vehicles also rose by 5.8 percent year on year, while sales of petrol and diesel cars fell by 19.2 percent and 22.4 percent, respectively.

Data showed that battery-electric vehicles accounted for 17.4 percent of the European Union market share in 2025, up from 13.6 percent the previous year. (QNA)