84 percent have a combustion engine
While the Dutch registration figures for October have already been received, the European registration figures for the month before are falling through the cracks. What do you think? Indeed, the Tesla Model Y was again the most popular EV in Europe. But not only that. Regardless of the type of drivetrain, the Tesla Model Y can call itself the most popular car in Europe.
In September, 1.16 million new passenger cars were registered in Europe. That was about 9.5 percent more than in the same month last year. Of those 1.16 million cars, 186,380 had an electric drivetrain, 13 percent more than in September last year. This means that 16.1 percent of the new passenger cars registered in Europe in September were EVs. If we turn that around, it means that almost 84 percent of new passenger cars in Europe simply had a combustion engine. However, significantly more new EVs have been registered so far in 2023 than in the first nine months of last year. The annual counter now stands at 1,465,249 EVs, 47 percent more than were registered in the first nine months of 2022. This is evident from information from Jato Dynamics.
Most popular electric cars in Europe – September 2023
The Tesla Model Y was – not entirely surprising – again in September the electric car with the most units registered in Europe. 29,309 Tesla Model Ys were registered in September. A huge number, but it was 1 percent less than in September last year. The MG 4 Electric follows at a great distance in second place, of which 7,313 units were registered. In third place is the ever-popular Peugeot e-208, which has registered 6,637. That was no less than 62 percent more than in September 2022. The rest of the top 10 consists mainly of usual suspects: the Fiat 500e, the Volkswagen ID4, the Skoda Enyaq, the Dacia Spring and the Kia Niro EV. The Mercedes-Benz EQA and Audi Q4 e-tron are perhaps the more surprising top 10s. The EQA and Q4 e-tron were successively sold 114 percent and 119 percent more often than in September last year. The Tesla Model 3 has completely disappeared from the Top 10. The Tesla Model Y was and is also the most popular electric car in the Netherlands.
| Brand | Fashion model | Number | Percentage difference compared to September 2022 | |
| 1 | Tesla | Model Y | 23,309 | -1% |
| 2 | MG | 4 Electric | 7,313 | +887% |
| 3 | Peugeot | e-208 | 6,637 | +62% |
| 4 | Fiat | 500th | 6,059 | +19% |
| 5 | Volkswagen | ID4 | 6,033 | -9% |
| 6 | Skoda | Enyaq iV | 6,002 | +29% |
| 7 | Dacia | jump | 4,590 | -5% |
| 8 | Mercedes Benz | EQA | 4,497 | +114% |
| 9 | Audi | Q4 e-tron | 4,318 | +119% |
| 10 | Kia | Niro EV | 4,318 | -5% |
Most popular new passenger cars in Europe – September 2023
The Tesla Model Y was not only the most registered EV in Europe in September, but also the most registered new passenger car in a broad sense. Just like in The Netherlands. The Peugeot 208 follows in second place with 22,188 registrations. Of the 208, 13 percent more units were registered than in September last year. Fun fact: of all 208s registered in September, 30 percent were electric e-208s. The Renault Clio follows with 20,088 registrations and more units of that French hatchback were also registered in September than in the same month last year. The Golf follows in fourth place with 19,441 registrations and also records double growth figures. The ever-popular Dacia Sandero reached 19,265 registered units in September (+8 percent). The top 25 looks like this:
| Brand | Fashion model | Number | Percentage difference compared to September 2022 | |
| 1 | Tesla | Model Y | 29,309 | -1% |
| 2 | Peugeot | 208 | 22,188 | +13% |
| 3 | Renault | Clio | 20,088 | +26% |
| 4 | Volkswagen | golf | 19,441 | +20% |
| 5 | Dacia | Sandero | 19,265 | +8% |
| 6 | Fiat/Abarth | 500 | 18,271 | +15% |
| 7 | Ford | Puma | 18,063 | +23% |
| 8 | Opel | Corsa | 16,977 | +24% |
| 9 | Volkswagen | T-Roc | 16,935 | +4% |
| 10 | Nissan | Qashqai | 16,404 | +3% |
| 11 | Lemon | C3 | 16,295 | +29% |
| 12 | Kia | Sportage | 14,608 | +5% |
| 13 | Peugeot | 2008 | 14,236 | +9% |
| 14 | Skoda | Octavia | 13,929 | -21% |
| 15 | Volkswagen | Polo | 13,659 | -11% |
| 16 | Hyundai | Tucson | 13,655 | -1% |
| 17 | Toyota | Yaris Cross | 13,575 | +18% |
| 18 | Volkswagen | Tiguan | 13,470 | +24% |
| 19 | Ford | Kuga | 12,564 | +0% |
| 20 | Toyota | Yaris | 12,184 | -27% |
| 21 | Toyota | Corolla | 12,110 | +22% |
| 22 | Renault | Captur | 12,072 | +20% |
| 23 | MG | ZS | 11,862 | +118% |
| 24 | Mini | Hatchack | 10,959 | +18% |
| 25 | Volvo | XC40 | 10,844 | +31% |
Most popular plug-in hybrid: Ford Kuga PHEV
As in previous months, the Ford Kuga PHEV was again the most popular new plug-in hybrid in Europe in September. Sales of the Volvo XC60 have almost doubled compared to September last year. The generation change of the Mercedes-Benz GLC seems to have done the car well and the new BMW X1 also seems to be quite popular. The Cupra Formentor, the Volkswagen Tiguan and the plug-in hybrid 3008 also performed considerably better than in September last year. The popularity of the plug-in versions of the Kia Sportage, BMW X5 and Mazda CX-60 appears to be decreasing.
| Brand | Fashion model | Number | Percentage difference compared to September 2022 | |
| 1 | Ford | Kuga | 5,398 | +8% |
| 2 | Volvo | XC60 | 3,268 | +99% |
| 3 | Mercedes Benz | GLC | 3,006 | +339% |
| 4 | Cupra | Formentor | 2,835 | +88% |
| 5 | Volkswagen | Tiguan | 2,648 | +60% |
| 6 | Kia | Sportage | 2,463 | -22% |
| 7 | BMW | X5 | 2,403 | -23% |
| 8 | BMW | X1 | 2,374 | +857% |
| 9 | Peugeot | 3008 | 2,091 | +15% |
| 10 | Mazda | CX-60 | 2.017 | -28% |
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl