Passenger cars in use and motorization rate in Europe
The European passenger car fleet is largest in Germany, with almost 50 million cars in use in 2024, followed by Italy and France. After the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal in 2015, the popularity of diesel cars declined, and petrol vehicles became more common. Overall, the share of electric vehicles in the total fleet remains relatively low, although Norway is a major exception, with a very high share of electric and hybrid cars. In contrast, Eastern European countries generally have very low shares of electric vehicles, often below 1%. The motorization rate, which measures the number of cars per 1,000 inhabitants, is highest in Italy, with a rate of 701, while Eastern European countries have lower rates but have experienced significant growth in recent years.
Germany has the largest car fleet in Europe
For more than a century, private cars have played a transformative role in modern society by providing independence and freedom of mobility. They remain the primary mode of transport, with the average European travelling more than 12,000 kilometres per year by car (ACEA, 2025).
In Europe (in this current analysis: the EU-27, the UK, Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland, as reliable data is not available for the remaining countries), the largest number of passenger cars* in use is in Germany, with almost 50 million in 2024 (Figure 1). After the Volkswagen Dieselgate scandal, which started in 2015, the popularity of diesel engines decreased, and there are now more petrol cars than diesel cars in Germany. In second place by the number of passenger cars in use is Italy, with more than 41 million passenger cars. However, on average, cars in Italy are older than those in Germany: in Germany the average age is 10.6 years, while in Italy it is 13 years. Petrol cars are also more popular in Italy, but LPG cars also have a remarkable share. France occupies third place, with almost 40 million passenger cars. In France there are slightly more diesel cars, and the average age of the vehicle fleet is 11.5 years.
Figure 1: Passenger car fleet in Europe, 2024 (thousands)
Source: ACEA – European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association
Norway leads the transition to electric cars
In general, the share of electric vehicles is low (Figure 2). The share of electric vehicles increases more slowly in the total car fleet, as their share in new registrations is still moderate and cars purchased in previous years remain in use for many years. There are some exceptions, for example Norway, where 27.7% of the cars in use are electric and 12.7% are hybrid. In absolute numbers, there are more electric cars in Germany, but their share is much lower, only 3.3%, with hybrids accounting for 7.2%. Eastern European countries (e.g., Poland, Romania, etc.) generally have a very low share of electric cars, in many cases below 1%. The share of electric cars is influenced by several factors, such as the price of electric vehicles, governmental incentives (e.g., tax reductions or subsidies), and the number and availability of charging stations (ec.europa.eu, 2026).
Figure 2: Share of passenger cars by fuel type, 2024 (%)
Source: ACEA – European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association
Italy leads motorization; Eastern Europe lags but is catching up quickly
Germany has more passenger cars partly because the country has more than 80 million inhabitants, more than any other European country (excluding Russia and Turkey). The motorization rate addresses this issue and shows the number of cars per 1,000 inhabitants. If this rate is high, people tend to own cars and their mobility is probably higher (without considering public transportation, other types of transport, or the general infrastructure). There is no universally desired level, but there are few cases above 700, which is considered close to the saturation point. Italy is very close to this level, as in 2024 the motorization rate there was 701 (Figure 3). The exceptionally high motorization rate in Valle d’Aosta, followed by the Autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano (all close to or above 1,000), is due to special and favourable taxation, which significantly reduced the total cost of vehicle ownership (ec.europa.eu, 2026; eunews.it, 2024). In Germany, the motorization rate in 2024 was 591, placing it in the upper range in Europe. In contrast, motorization rates in Central and Eastern Europe are much lower, for example only 445 in Hungary and 443 in Romania.
Figure 3: Passenger car motorization rate in Europe, 2024 (cars per 1,000 inhabitants)
Source: ACEA – European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association
However, in Eastern Europe the motorization rate increased in 2024 compared to 2020. The highest increase was observed in Latvia (+18.8%), followed by Romania and Croatia (+17.5%) and Poland (+14.3%) (Figure 4). In some regions the motorization rate even decreased, such as in Luxembourg (although the rate there is already very high), and it also decreased slightly in Sweden, where the motorization rate is not particularly high.
Source: ACEA – European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association
*Note: The European classification system defines passenger cars as “vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of passengers and comprising no more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat, and having a maximum mass not exceeding 3.5 tonnes”. There are many different kinds of cars including sports, luxury, family-oriented, small cars and sports utility vehicles (SUVs) (ACEA, 2025).
Sources
- OICA – International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (2025). Link: https://oica.net/
- it (2024). Italy sets record in EU for passenger cars: in Val d’Aosta there are 2.3 per inhabitant. Still behind on electric. Link: https://www.eunews.it/en/2024/05/06/italy-sets-record-eu-passenger-cars/
- europa.eu (2025). Passenger cars per inhabitant stable in 2023. Link: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20250521-1
- europa.eu (2026). Stock of vehicles at regional level. Link. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Stock_of_vehicles_at_regional_level
- ACEA – European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (2025). Passenger cars: what they are and why they are so important. Link: https://www.acea.auto/fact/passenger-cars-what-they-are-and-why-they-are-so-important/#:~:text=Passenger%20cars:%20what%20they%20are%20and%20why,comprising%20no%20more%20than%20eight%20seats%20in