ACEA has published the report “Vehicles on European Roads

ACEA publishes the report “Vehicles on European Roads

The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has published the report “Vehicles on European Roads”, which presents the latest data on the number of vehicles circulating on European roads. The publication provides key insights, including the average age of vehicles, vehicle types, ownership patterns, and other essential information for understanding the current state of the automotive sector.

Building on ACEA’s regular updates on new registrations of cars, vans, trucks, and buses, this unique report offers an overview of the composition of the vehicle fleet currently in use across Europe. It highlights how new registration figures—including electric vehicles—differ from the actual structure of the vehicle parc on European roads.

“Although electric cars have become the third most popular option for new car buyers, accounting for nearly 17% of EU registrations so far in 2025, they still represent only 2.3% of all passenger cars on EU roads,” said Sigrid de Vries, Director General of ACEA. “This underlines the significant gap that remains in achieving widespread zero-emission mobility.”

The data also emphasize a crucial aspect of the transition: replacing older vehicles with newer, cleaner models can take many years—or even decades. Older vehicles typically rely on less efficient technologies, resulting in higher emissions and greater pollution compared to newer models. This underscores the importance of accelerating the replacement of older vehicles with the cleanest, greenest, and safest models, reflecting the automotive industry’s substantial investments in sustainable mobility.

“This publication shows that legislative targets are only one piece of the complex puzzle of road transport decarbonisation,” De Vries concluded. “Europe needs a pragmatic and achievable pathway for the automotive industry. At present, the transition in Europe is not progressing at the required pace. The ecosystem must become more attractive to consumers, and the current regulatory framework should be reviewed to encourage a broader set of enabling conditions—such as charging infrastructure, purchase incentives, and tax benefits—to stimulate demand for new models and ensure that Europe’s roads are populated with the cleanest and greenest vehicles.”

What do the numbers say?

Germany has the largest number of passenger cars, with 49,336,166, which is unsurprising given that it is both the most populous and one of the wealthiest countries in Europe. Italy follows with 41,340,516 cars, and France with 39,180,196. In the region, Hungary has 4,260,906 cars, Bulgaria 3,117,711, Croatia 2,001,268, and Slovenia 1,266,235.

Across Europe as a whole—counting the EU, EFTA countries (Norway, Switzerland, Iceland), and the United Kingdom—there are 302,281,600 passenger cars in circulation.

Europe also has 37,935,689 vans, 7,072,260 trucks, and 852,180 buses.

Car ownership per 1,000 inhabitants is also noteworthy. Italy leads with 701 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, followed by Germany (591), France (580), Hungary (445), Croatia (518), Slovenia (596), and Bulgaria (484). The EU average stands at 570 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, while the figure for Europe as a whole (including EFTA and the UK) is 567.

The number of vans, trucks, and buses per 1,000 inhabitants is 85 in the EU and 86 across Europe. Cyprus ranks first with 135 commercial vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, followed by France (106), Germany (54), Croatia (67), and Slovenia (69).

The average age of passenger cars in the EU is 12.7 years. Lithuania has the youngest vehicle fleet at 1.6 years, while Hungary has the oldest at 15.6 years (no data available for Bulgaria). The average age is 10.6 years in Germany, 11.5 in France, 11.6 in Slovenia, and 13.4 in Croatia.

In percentage terms, Denmark has the highest share of electric cars at 12.1%. Germany follows with 3.3%, France with 2.8%, while Italy is near the bottom with 0.7%. Slovenia stands at 1.3%, and Croatia at 0.5%.

Across the EU, 23% of households do not own a car.
At least one car is owned by 73% of households: 50% own one car, 20% own two cars, and 6% own three or more.

The average annual distance driven in the EU is 13,600 kilometres. Petrol cars average 10,000 km, diesel cars 15,400 km, and electric cars 13,200 km per year.

Source: ACEA
Photo: AI