Brussels: The European passenger car market experienced a growth of 1.3% in April compared to the same period last year, with 925,359 new automobile registrations. According to Anadolu Agency, data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association highlights the shifts in market trends, with electric vehicles playing a critical role in the overall market expansion. Among the leading car markets in the EU, Spain posted the most significant increase, with a 7.1% rise in new car registrations. Italy followed with a 2.7% growth. Conversely, France and Germany saw declines, with France down by 5.6% and Germany marginally decreasing by 0.2%. Electric vehicles have been at the forefront of this market growth. Battery-electric vehicle (BEV) sales surged by 34.1% year-on-year in April, reaching 145,341 units and making up 15.7% of total new car sales. Notably, Germany experienced a 53.5% increase in BEV sales, while Italy and Czechia recorded even higher rises of 108.2% and 110.8%, respectively. Hybr id-electric vehicles (HEVs) also maintained a significant presence in the market, accounting for 34.7% of the EU market in April. Registrations of HEVs increased by 20.8%, totaling 320,725 units. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) demonstrated robust growth as well, with sales increasing by 31.2% to 81,554 units during the same period. In contrast, traditional internal combustion engine vehicles saw notable declines. Petrol car registrations fell by 20.6%, reducing their market share to 28.3%. Diesel car registrations experienced an even steeper decline, plummeting by 24.4% and dropping their market share to 9.6% in April. Most EU markets recorded double-digit declines in diesel car registrations.