EU Electric and Hybrid Car Trade Surplus Reaches €19.6 Billion in 2025 Data
The European Union exported €64.7 billion worth of electric and hybrid passenger cars in 2025 and imported €45.1 billion, producing a €19.6 billion trade surplus. Eurostat’s October 13, 2026 release reports that export value rose 10 percent while imports increased 4 percent from 2024.
These are newly published figures about 2025 trade—not a reading of October 2026 showroom demand. They combine battery-electric cars with both plug-in and non-plug-in hybrids.
| Trade flow | 2024 value | 2025 value | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU imports | €43.4bn | €45.1bn | +4% |
| EU exports | €58.7bn | €64.7bn | +10% |
A growing total can hide different powertrain trends
Eurostat’s detailed statistical explanation shows plug-in hybrid import value rose 48 percent to €13.0 billion. Battery-electric import value fell 8 percent, while non-plug-in hybrid imports declined 6 percent. Combining all three therefore does not mean each category grew.
China accounted for 42 percent of the value of electric-car imports, followed by South Korea at 27 percent. That is a share of the EU’s imported electric cars by value—not China’s share of all EU car purchases, and not a count of Chinese-brand registrations.
Trade, production and sales are different measures
The statistics treat the EU as one trading area and measure flows between it and non-EU countries, excluding trade within the bloc. The production figures are separate: Eurostat reports about 4.8 million hybrid and electric passenger cars out of 12.6 million cars produced in the EU in 2025.
A euro-denominated increase can reflect the number or mix of vehicles traded and their values. On its own, it does not establish that consumers bought the same percentage more cars or that manufacturers earned the same percentage more profit.
The figures add context to the current European automotive policy debate. They describe an observed trading position; they do not by themselves prove that a particular policy caused it or forecast the outcome of negotiations.
Illustrative stock photo of vehicle charging, not a European customs shipment or a vehicle in Eurostat’s dataset. Photo: Michael Fousert / Unsplash; image source; Unsplash License.