Cyprus hybrid adoption surge aligns with EU shift to cleaner vehicles

Hybrid cars accounted for more than half of all passenger saloon car registrations in Cyprus during the first nine months of 2026, while the share of fully electric vehicles declined, according to the Cyprus Statistical Service (Cystat). Hybrids represented 53 per cent of passenger car registrations between January and September, up from 44 per cent during the same period of 2025, highlighting their growing presence in the local vehicle market. By contrast, the share of fully electric cars fell to 4.2 per cent from 4.7 per cent, while petrol-powered vehicles declined to 34.8 per cent from 42.8 per cent. Diesel-powered cars also lost ground, accounting for 8 per cent of registrations, compared with 8.5 per cent a year earlier. The figures come as hybrid and electric vehicles continue to gain ground across the European Union, where almost 40 per cent of cars produced in 2025 belonged to one of these categories, according to a report from Eurostat. Across Cyprus, total motor vehicle registrations rose by 9.1 per cent to 43,890 during January to September 2026, compared with 40,212 in the corresponding period of the previous year. Passenger saloon car registrations increased by 9 per cent to 34,156, up from 31,325. Of these, 10,521, or 30.8 per cent, were new vehicles, while 23,635, or 69.2 per cent, were used cars. Registrations of rental cars fell by 17.1 per cent, declining from 4,559 to 3,780. September, however, saw a monthly slowdown, with total motor vehicle registrations falling by 3.9 per cent year-on-year to 5,326, compared with 5,544 in September 2025. Passenger saloon car registrations dropped by 2.5 per cent to 4,254 from 4,364. EU hybrid and electric car production increased to 4.8 million vehicles in 2025, up from 3.9 million in 2024, an increase of almost one million cars. The 4.8m vehicles represented almost 40 per cent of the 12.6m cars produced across the bloc during the year. Fully electric vehicles accounted for 17 per cent of EU car production, while plug-in hybrids represented 7 per cent and non-plug-in hybrids 14 per cent. The value of EU production of hybrid and electric cars reached €139 billion in 2025, up from €123 billion in 2024. Fully electric cars accounted for the largest share, with production valued at €68bn, compared with €58bn a year earlier. Non-plug-in hybrid production was worth €38bn, unchanged from 2024, while plug-in hybrid production rose to €33bn from €27bn. These figures represented 21 per cent of the total value of EU car production for fully electric vehicles, 12 per cent for non-plug-in hybrids and 10 per cent for plug-in hybrids. International trade in hybrid and electric vehicles also expanded in 2025. The EU imported €45.1bn worth of hybrid and electric cars, a 4 per cent increase from €43.4bn in 2024, while exports rose by 10 per cent to €64.7bn from €58.7bn. Their importance in the bloc’s car trade has grown substantially since 2017, when electric and hybrid vehicles accounted for just 10 per cent of total car imports and 3 per cent of exports. Fully electric cars represented 20 per cent of EU car imports and 18 per cent of exports in 2025, compared with 0.8 per cent and 1.1 per cent, respectively, in 2017. Plug-in hybrids accounted for 17 per cent of imports and 9 per cent of exports, up from 1.2 per cent and 1.8 per cent in 2017. Non-plug-in hybrids represented 23 per cent of imports and 14 per cent of exports, compared with 8 per cent and 0.3 per cent, respectively, in 2017. China was the EU’s largest supplier of fully electric cars in 2025, accounting for 42 per cent of imports, followed by South Korea at 27 per cent and Japan at 9 per cent. The United Kingdom was the leading destination for EU electric car exports, accounting for 35 per cent, followed by the United States and Norway, each with 14 per cent. Beyond passenger cars, Cyprus also recorded increases in several other vehicle categories during the first nine months of 2026. Registrations of motor coaches and buses rose to 196 from 132 in the same period of 2025. Goods vehicle registrations increased by 10.4 per cent to 5,046, compared with 4,569 a year earlier. Light goods vehicles rose by 8.8 per cent to 3,970, road tractors by 14.7 per cent to 195, heavy goods vehicles by 16.3 per cent to 621 and rental vehicles by 20.9 per cent to 260. Moped registrations for vehicles with engine capacities below 50cc fell to 109 from 170, while registrations of mechanised cycles with engine capacities above 50cc increased by 8 per cent to 3,802 from 3,522. The figures point to a shift towards hybrid vehicles in Cyprus, even as the proportion of fully electric cars among new registrations remains comparatively small and declined during the period under review.