Romania: BEVs continued to struggle while PHEVs grew in 2025

The Romanian electric vehicle (EV) market in 2025 showed a mixed but structurally important evolution, marked by a slowdown in battery electric vehicle (BEV) adoption, a strong rebound in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and continued—though uneven—progress in charging infrastructure deployment. Official vehicle registration data from the Romanian Automotive Manufacturers and Importers Association (APIA), based on DGPCI registrations, provides a comprehensive view of these trends. 

Passenger Car Market: BEV and PHEV Performance 

In 2025, total new passenger car registrations in Romania reached 155,855 units, representing a 4.7% increase compared with 2024. Within this total, battery electric vehicle registrations totaled 8,833 units in 2025, down from 9,712 units in 2024, corresponding to a year-on-year decline of approximately 9%. As a result, BEVs accounted for about 5.7% of total new passenger car registrations in 2025, compared with an estimated 6.5% share in 2024. 

In contrast, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles experienced significant growth. PHEV registrations reached 10,079 units in 2025, up from 6,338 units in 2024, representing an increase of nearly 59% year-on-year. PHEVs captured approximately 6.5% of the total passenger car market in 2025, up from roughly 4.3% in the previous year. 

Together, BEVs and PHEVs represented over 12% of all new passenger car registrations in Romania in 2025, surpassing the 11% of 2024 but still below the peak of 12.5% in 2023.

AF Market share of total registrations (M1)

Newly registered alternative fuelled (BEV, PHEV, LPG) passenger cars as a percentage of the total number of registrations.

Leading Brands and Models 

The Romanian BEV market in 2025 remained strongly influenced by affordable and locally popular models. Dacia led the BEV brand ranking with 1,596 registrations, driven almost entirely by the Dacia Spring, which also ranked as the best-selling BEV model overall. Hyundai followed with 1,157 BEV registrations, ahead of Ford (1,149), Tesla (1,115), and Renault (720). Other leading BEV models included the Hyundai Kona and Tesla Model 3. 

In the PHEV segment, Volkswagen emerged as the market leader with 1,619 registrations, followed by Mercedes-Benz (1,340), BMW (1,049), Ford (916), and Hyundai (822). On a model basis, the Ford Kuga PHEV led the segment with 845 registrations, ahead of the Volkswagen Tiguan PHEV and the Hyundai Tucson PHEV. 

Electric Commercial Vehicles 

Electrification in the commercial vehicle segment continued to progress, though from a relatively low base. In the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment, electric van registrations reached 651 units in 2025, compared with 552 units in 2024, representing year-on-year growth of approximately 18%.  

Charging Infrastructure Development 

Romania’s EV charging infrastructure expanded further in 2025: the country closed 2024 with 2,660 AC charging points and 1,906 DC charging points, which increased to 3,576 and 3,536 AC and DC points respectively, nearly a 50% increase.  

Outlook and Expectations for 2026 

Looking ahead to 2026, Romania’s EV market is expected to remain highly sensitive to public incentive schemes, vehicle affordability, and charging infrastructure deployment. A stabilization or modest recovery in BEV sales is likely if subsidy programs are maintained and new lower-cost BEV models enter the market. PHEVs are expected to remain strong in the short term, particularly among private and fleet buyers seeking a transitional technology. In the commercial vehicle space, electric vans are likely to continue gradual growth, while electric trucks and buses will depend heavily on public procurement cycles and infrastructure availability. Finally, continued investment in fast-charging corridors and urban charging hubs will be critical to sustaining overall EV adoption momentum in 2026.

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.