Report – Vehicles on European roads 2025

Investment Rating - The report does not explicitly provide an investment rating for the automotive industry in Europe Core Insights - The report highlights the significant gap between the sales of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and their actual representation on European roads, with BEVs accounting for 13.6% of new car registrations but only 1.8% of passenger cars on the roads [8][9] - The average age of vehicles on European roads is increasing, with the average age of passenger cars reaching 12.5 years in 2023, indicating a need for modernization towards cleaner technologies [10][12] - The report emphasizes the importance of accelerating the adoption of zero-emission vehicles across all segments, particularly vans, trucks, and buses, to meet decarbonization targets [11][13] Summary by Sections Key Figures - In 2023, the EU passenger car fleet grew by 1.4% to nearly 249 million cars, with Croatia showing the highest growth at +4.3% [18] - The number of vans in circulation reached 30.1 million, with a concentration in France, Italy, and Spain [18] - The EU truck fleet saw a 0.8% increase, totaling 6 million medium and heavy commercial vehicles [18] - Buses in operation numbered 679,802, with Italy, France, Germany, and Poland accounting for over half [18] By Age - The average age of cars is 12.5 years, with Greece having the oldest fleet at 17.5 years [18] - Vans average 12.7 years, with Italy having the oldest van fleet at 14.8 years [18] - Trucks average 14.1 years, with Greece again having the oldest fleet at 22.6 years [18] - Buses average 12.2 years, with Greece having the oldest bus fleet at 17.6 years [18] By Power Source - In 2023, only 3.9% of the total EU car fleet consisted of electrically chargeable vehicles [18] - Diesel remains dominant in light commercial vehicles, with 90.5% of the fleet running on diesel [18] - For trucks, 96.4% are diesel-powered, with only 0.1% having a zero-emission powertrain [18] - Diesel buses account for 89.2% of the fleet, with only 2.5% being battery electric [18] Per 1,000 Inhabitants - The EU has 563 passenger cars and 83 commercial vehicles and buses per 1,000 inhabitants [18] - Italy has the highest car density at 694 per 1,000 people, while Latvia has the lowest at 381 [18] Vehicle Ownership - The report indicates that a significant portion of European households still own at least one car, with Denmark having nearly 40% of households without a car [18] - The average annual distance traveled in the countries covered is 12,346 kilometers [18]