Cars: APIA: Romania's registrations of all-electric cars drop 70 pct in April

Romania's new car registrations were 24% down in April 2025 from the year-ago period, while all-electric cars saw a 70% decrease and a market share of 2.2%, shows data provided by the Driving Licences and Vehicle Registration Directorate General (DGPCI) processed by the Association of Automobile Manufacturers and Importers (APIA).Registrations of passenger cars, which represent approximately 83% of the total market, stood at 9,910 units in the reporting interval.The SUV category accounts for the largest market share at 53.9%, down 14.8% compared to April last year, followed by Class C vehicles with a share of 25.7% (-36.2%) and Class B vehicles with a share of 14.1% (-22.4%).By the fuel used, gasoline-powered cars dropped 44.3% to a share of 24.8%, while diesel engines decreased by 26.1% to a share of 9.5%.Cars equipped with mild-hybrid engines reported a 10% rise in registrations to a share of 28.8% of the total market.On the other hand, electrified vehicles, specifically battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, as well as mild-hybrid and full hybrid cars (that don't need to be plugged in to charge) - were accounting for a market share of 54.9%.Fully electric cars held a 2.2% market share this April, compared to 5.5% in April 2024, while plug-in hybrids accounted for 5.4% of the market (compared to 3.3% in April 2024).In the first four months of 2025, the top three best-selling fully electric cars were: Dacia Spring - with 1,022 units and a decrease of 31.4% year-on-year, Tesla Model 3 with 175 units, and Leapmotor T03 with 134 units.In the plug-in car segment, the top three spots are held by Ford Kuga with 199 units, Volkswagen Golf (177 units) and Mercedes Benz GLC (130).In the category of hybrid cars that do not need recharging from external sources Dacia Duster holds the lead with 1,124 units, followed by Toyota Corolla with 995 units and Toyota RAV4 with 932 units.There was a 31.6% decrease in April's registrations of light commercial vehicles and minibuses compared to April 2024, of which light commercial vehicles - minibuses excluded - saw a drop of 33%. On the other hand, sales of electric light commercial vehicles reached 281 units in the first four months of this year, compared to 230 units in the same period last year.At the same time, registrations of heavy commercial vehicles and buses fell 33.4% in April 2025 vs April 2024, with 16+ tonne heavy commercial vehicles and tractors recording a setback of 24%.APIA is a non-profit organization representative for the Romanian automotive industry, founded in 1994, and a member of the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers since 1996.