BMW has overtaken Tesla in electric vehicle sales across Europe, marking a significant shift in the Old Continent’s zero-emissions car market. According to new data from automotive research firm JATO Dynamics, BMW and MINI sold nearly 19,000 battery-electric vehicles  in February, exceeding Tesla’s total, which fell to fewer than 16,000 units—a 44 percent year-over-year decline. In fact, Tesla’s market share dropped to 9.6 percent in February, its lowest level for that month in five years.

In contrast, BMW has steadily expanded its electric offerings and now benefits from one of the most comprehensive BEV portfolios among traditional automakers. With models ranging from the entry-level iX1 to the flagship i7 and high-performance i4 M50, BMW is attracting both loyal customers and new EV adopters. February’s figures position BMW just behind Volkswagen Group, which led the European market with nearly 20,000 BEV registrations in the month, a 180 percent increase from the year before.

Overall, the European EV market is growing rapidly. Battery-electric vehicles accounted for 15.4 percent of all new car registrations in February, up from 11.5 percent in the same month last year. Over the first two months of 2025, BEV sales rose by 28.4 percent, making up more than one-seventh of the total market.

However, not all regions contributed equally to the growth. While Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands all posted double-digit gains in electric car sales, France saw a slight decline. New car demand overall has been soft across much of Europe, with total registrations falling by 3 percent in February. Nevertheless, electric vehicles continue to gain share as internal combustion models decline. Petrol and diesel cars now represent just 38 percent of the market, down sharply from 48.4 percent a year ago.

Meanwhile, Chinese automakers are also making their presence felt. Brands like BYD, Polestar, and SAIC’s MG outpaced Tesla’s performance, with combined Chinese BEV sales exceeding Tesla’s for the month. SAIC alone sold over 30,000 vehicles in Europe during the first two months of 2025, compared to Tesla’s 19,046 units over the same period.

BYD is also prepared an European offensive with plans to build two factories in order to sustain the expected growth. In the mean time, BMW is also in the process of revamping its electric lineup with the upcoming Neue Klasse family which will give us the iX3 electric crossover at the end of the year. A total of six new EVs are expected from BMW within two years.

[Source: EuroNews]