Malta had the second-highest share of battery-only electric cars in the European Union in 2024, according to new Eurostat data, underscoring the country’s rapid transition to electric mobility even as the EU overall recorded its first decline in new registrations.

Battery-only electric cars made up 37.7% of all new passenger car registrations in Malta last year, placing it behind only Denmark, which topped the EU with 51.3%. Sweden ranked third with 34.9%.

By contrast, some member states recorded very low adoption rates, with Croatia at 1.8%, Slovakia at 2.4% and Poland at 3%.

EU New Registrations Decline

Across the EU as a whole, 1.45 million battery-only electric passenger cars were registered in 2024, down 6.1% from 1.55 million the previous year. This marked the first annual decline in new registrations in recent years.

The fall also meant battery-only electric cars accounted for 13.6% of all new passenger car registrations across the EU, down from 14.6% in 2023. Despite the short-term slowdown, the total fleet of battery-only electric passenger cars in the EU rose sharply to 5.87 million, up 32.4% from 4.43 million in 2023.

Hybrids Gain Ground

The data also revealed diverging trends among other vehicle types. Plug-in hybrid car registrations fell 6.5% in 2024, mirroring the drop in battery-only electric cars. However, hybrid cars overall, including non-plug-in models, grew strongly, with 3.95 million new registrations recorded in the EU – an increase of 12.7% compared with 2023.

Malta’s Rapid Transition

Malta’s strong ranking reflects how quickly the island nation’s small car market can respond to regulatory changes and incentives. Its 37.7% share of battery-only electric cars is well above the EU average and puts it on par with Northern European countries that have traditionally led in EV adoption.

The high share positions Malta as one of the best-prepared EU member states for the bloc’s plan to end the sale of new combustion engine cars by 2035. Continued investment in charging infrastructure and the development of a second-hand EV market will be critical to sustaining momentum.