Electric buses make up over half of new registrations in five European countries, ACEA data show

Five European countries — Denmark, Romania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Belgium — have crossed a symbolic threshold in the first three quarters of 2025: more than half of all new buses registered are now fully electric (or plug-in hybrids), based on figures released by ACEA.

Looking at volumes, between January and September 2025, ACEA reports that registrations of electric buses in the European Union reached 6,444 units, up 49 percent compared to the same period in 2024. When including the United Kingdom and EFTA countries, the figure rises to 9,346 units – a 52 percent increase year-on-year.

Belgium posted the strongest growth

Putting specific countries under the lens and looking at the share of e-buses on the total number of buses and coaches registered, Denmark leads with 301 electric buses out of 439 new registrations — meaning 68.6% of new buses are electric, up 8.1 percentage points from 2024. Romania follows with 455 electric out of 723 total units, corresponding to 62.9%, a slight decline from last year’s 67.2% but still one of the highest shares in Europe.

The Netherlands and Norway also passed the symbolic 60% mark: the Netherlands registered 415 electric buses out of 688 (60.3%), up 15.9 points year-on-year, while Norway delivered 599 out of 996 (60.1%), improving by 18.7 points. The strongest surge came from Belgium, which more than tripled its e-bus volume to 685 units out of 1,271 — a 33.2-point jump that brought its electric share to 53.9% in just twelve months.

Sweden also approached majority status, with 698 electric buses out of 1,538 (45.4%), marking a remarkable 28.2-point increase compared to 2024.

In larger European markets, electrification continues to expand regarding volumes but, logically, at a slower pace in relative terms. Germany registered 1,202 e-buses out of 4,765 total, reaching 25.2% (+11.5 points). Italy recorded 912 out of 3,989 (22.9%, +12.5 points), and the UK led in absolute numbers with 2,117 e-buses out of 7,641 (27.7%, +5 points).

France and Spain, both close to the 10 percent threshold, remained largely stable year-on-year, with 501 electric out of 4,786 (10.5%) and 323 out of 2,914 (11.1%) respectively.