European EV market sees lower discounts, record sales, and battery import reliance
A July market study by Center Automotive Research (CAR) found that average discounts on electric vehicles fell to 17.6 % of the list price, while discounts on combustion‑engine cars were 19.4 %. The price gap between the most‑sold EVs and popular combustion models widened to €2,363, up from about €1,000 in December 2025.
In June, the EU, EFTA states and the United Kingdom recorded 360,843 new battery‑electric cars, a 51 % increase over June 2025 and representing 25.6 % of all new car registrations. Germany alone sold 84,057 EVs, a 78.2 % rise year‑on‑year and 28.4 % of its new‑car market.
A Deloitte study highlighted Europe’s heavy reliance on Asian battery production: 77 % of battery cells used in Europe last year and 70 % in 2024 were manufactured in Asia. Europe contributes only 13 % of global battery‑cell output, with 98 % of its production capacity controlled by Asian firms. Demand is expected to grow, with an estimated need for batteries to support up to 28 million European EVs by 2030.
Entities: Center Automotive Research (CAR) · Deloitte · European Union · European Union · Ferdinand Dudenhöffer · Germany · Volkswagen
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Average discounts on electric vehicles fell to 17.6 % of the list price in July. (Center Automotive Research (CAR) study)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Electric vehicles accounted for 25.6 % of all new car registrations in the region. (EU market data June 2024)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Average discounts on combustion‑engine cars were 19.4 % of the list price in July. (Center Automotive Research (CAR) study)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 360,843 battery‑electric new cars were registered in the EU, EFTA states and the United Kingdom in June. (EU registration data June 2024)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Germany sold 84,057 electric vehicles in June, a 78.2 % rise and 28.4 % of its new‑car market. (German vehicle registration data June 2024)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The price gap between the most‑sold electric vehicles and popular combustion models widened to €2,363, up from about €1,000 in December 2025. (Center Automotive Research (CAR) study)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] EU Regulation 2025/1214 sets average CO₂‑fleet targets for 2025‑2027, prompting manufacturers to increase EV sales. (b87b0f93-d9c9-4386-b82d-2389d48a1e3b)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The June EV registrations represented a 51 % increase compared with June 2025. (EU registration data June 2024)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 77 % of battery cells used in Europe were produced in Asia in the previous year. (Deloitte study)