Almost one in every five new cars in the EU last year was hybrid electric – almost doubling the developing tech's market share within a single year, and overtaking diesel cars for the first time. 

New data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) shows that 19.6 percent of new cars registered in the EU during 2021 were hybrid electric – up from 11.9 percent in 2020.

Petrol cars still represented the biggest share of the market, at 40 percent, but this was down from 47.5 percent in 2020. Similarly, diesel dropped to 19.6 percent from 27.9 percent the previous year, and were outsold by hybrid electrics – just: 48 fewer diesel cars were sold than hybrid electrics.

Other types of car embracing the switch to electric also enjoyed substantial market-share rises. Battery electric cars sales grew by 63.1 percent, taking their market share up to 9.1 percent from 5.4 percent last year, while a 70.7 percent rise in the sales of plug-in hybrids increased the market share to 8.9 percent from 5.1. 

Taken together, the market share of hybrid electric, battery electric and plug-in hybrid cars was 37.6 percent – up from 22.4 percent last year and now threatening petrol's pre-eminence in the sector. At this rate, perhaps next year petrol will be overtaken – and disappear in the rear-view mirror of the electric car revolution.