EU new car CO2 emissions dropped in 2025 as EV share rose
Average CO2 from new cars in the EU fell to 96.7 g/km in 2025, down 10 g, as battery-electric vehicles reached 18.9% of new registrations, EEA data shows.
Photo by Jakub Zerdzicki on Pexels
Average new car CO2 emissions in the European Union fell to 96.7 grams per kilometre in 2025, down 10 grams from 2024, according to provisional data the European Environment Agency (EEA) published on June 25, 2026. The drop was driven mainly by battery-electric vehicles, whose share of new cars rose to 18.9%, up 4.5 percentage points from 14.4% a year earlier. The figures cover cars and vans registered in the EU plus Norway and Iceland.
New vans followed the same direction. Their average emissions fell to 172.1 grams per kilometre, down 12.8 grams from 2024, as the electric share of new vans rose to 10.3% from 6.2%. The EEA stresses the data are provisional, pending a review by manufacturers later in the year.
What the new car CO2 emissions data shows
The data come from the EEA’s annual monitoring under the EU’s CO2 standards for vehicles, measured on the WLTP test cycle. About 10.8 million new cars were registered across the reporting countries in 2025, roughly level with 2024, alongside 1.2 million new vans. The table below sets out the year-on-year change for both vehicle types.
| Vehicle type | 2024 CO2 (g/km) | 2025 CO2 (g/km) | Change | BEV share 2024 | BEV share 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New cars | 106.7 | 96.7 | -10.0 | 14.4% | 18.9% |
| New vans | 184.9 | 172.1 | -12.8 | 6.2% | 10.3% |
Source: European Environment Agency, provisional 2025 monitoring data (June 25, 2026).
The clearest signal sits in the registration mix. As more buyers chose fully electric models, the fleet-average tailpipe figure dropped, because battery-electric vehicles are counted at zero grams per kilometre on the test. Plug-in hybrids added a further 9.7% of new cars and 1.7% of new vans.
Electric vehicles are doing the work
National figures show how uneven the shift is. Norway leads by a wide margin, with battery-electric models making up 96% of its new cars in 2025, followed by Denmark at 69% and Iceland at 43%. For vans, the Netherlands led at 84%, ahead of Norway at 46% and Denmark at 31%. These leaders pull the regional average up while many larger markets sit well below it.
The trend supports a point Winss Solutions has made before, that electric vehicles are better for the environment once the wider power system is taken into account. Tailpipe figures only capture part of the gain, since real-world benefit also depends on how the electricity feeding the chargers is generated.
What it means for EU targets
The numbers feed directly into the EU’s car and van CO2 standards under Regulation (EU) 2019/631. For the 2025 to 2027 period, manufacturer targets apply over the three years together rather than year by year, which gives carmakers room to balance a slower start against later gains. The provisional 2025 result suggests the fleet average is moving toward, not away from, the tighter limits ahead.
Cars and vans are only one slice of transport. Heavier vehicles are tracked separately, an area Winss Solutions covered in EU freight transport decarbonisation and 2030 goals. Cleaner road transport also underpins city climate plans, the theme of the evolution of net-zero urban landscapes, where local air quality and emissions targets meet.
About the European Environment Agency
The European Environment Agency is the EU body responsible for independent environmental data, based in Copenhagen and serving its member countries plus cooperating states. It runs the official monitoring of CO2 emissions from new cars and vans, collecting registration and emissions data from national authorities each year and publishing provisional figures before a manufacturer review finalises them. Its annual release is the reference point for tracking how road transport is decarbonising across Europe. The 2025 data show that, for a second consecutive reporting cycle shaped by electric uptake, average new car CO2 emissions are falling, with the pace set by how quickly buyers and fleets switch to battery-electric models.
Sources: European Environment Agency (EEA); European Environment Agency (EEA)
Featured image: photo by Jakub Zerdzicki on Pexels (free Pexels license).
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
