Febiac: ‘Belux car market is reference in EU electrification’

According to sector federation Febiac, the market share of pure electric cars in Belgium and Luxembourg is still growing. During the first nine months of this year, 27% of registrations were purely electric, a 7.4% increase compared to 2023.

Of course, the most significant factor in this positive electric result is the company car segment, representing three-fifths of the entire car market and 87.3% of BEV registrations (75,360).

Individual buyers choosing fully electric vehicles (12.7% of the market, significantly more than the 8.5% in 2023) are mainly in Flanders thanks to the governmental premium of €5,000 for the purchase of a new BEV (priced up to €40,000) and €3,000 for second-hand BEVs (same price limit).

It already makes the BEV market share the second-largest in the Belux, after the 42.1% (-0.1%) for gasoline cars. Third are the plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), with still 16% of the market but regressing (-5,1%). Fourth are the regular hybrids (HEVs), growing from 7.7% to 9.1% market share. Diesel has become fifth, shrinking from 8.8 to 5.1% market share.

Thanks to the premium, individual buyers in Flanders purchased 10,017 electric cars, a growth of 155%. That’s more than five times more than Wallonia (1,872) and more than 25 times more than Brussels (372). With these BEV registrations, Belgium is number one as a non-major market, ranking fourth behind Germany, the UK, and France.

Most popular models

The most popular model in Belgium is the BMW X1, followed by the Tesla Model Y,  the Dacia Sandero, the Citroën C3, and the Audi Q4. If one distinguishes between regions, the top three are X1, Model Y, and Q4 in Flanders, Sandero, Duster, Yaris in Wallonia, and X1, Q4, and Volvo XC40 in Brussels.

Looking at the driveline, the most popular BEV is the Tesla Model Y, the top PHEV is the BMW X1, and the top HEV is the Toyota Yaris. The most popular gasoline car is the Dacia Sandero, and the most popular diesel is (still) the Volkswagen Golf, but absolute figures are getting small here.

The last qualification is between owners. Companies and independents see the BMW X1 as their favorite, followed by Tesla Model Y, Audi Q4, Volvo XC40, and Audi A3. Individual buyers favor the Dacia Sandero, the Citroën C3, the Toyota Yaris, the Dacia Duster, and the Renault Clio. It once again illustrates the importance of the price factor for individual buyers.

BMS is taking shape

The 101st Brussels Motor Show will take place from 10 to 19 January 2025, and Febiac is proud to announce that 50 brands have already confirmed participation. “When we confirmed the BMW earlier this year, the enthusiasm of many participants was obvious,” says Febiac CEO Frank Van Gool. “We wouldn’t have dreamed of such an enthusiastic reaction, and we’re still negotiating to make the list even longer. The Brussels Motor Show 2025 is already a success.”

Looking at the list of confirmed participants, we see long-time ‘faithful’ brands like BMW, Renault/Dacia, Ford, Kia, Mazda, and Toyota return. The two most important groups that caused the cancellation of the 2024 edition, the D’Ieteren Group (importer of all VW Group brands and some minor start-ups like Microlino) and the Stallantis Group, are also present.

Brands like Hyundai and Mercedes-Benz return, but others like Volvo, Polestar, and Jaguar Land Rover are absent. It’s a fact that JLR, Polestar, and many other exclusive brands already had their exclusive show just a few weeks ago at the Zoute Grand Prix, targeting a more wealthy audience.

They won’t be spending money a second time for what is perceived as a more general and less wealthy public in Brussels. A last remarkable feat: until now, at least 11 Chinese brands will be present in Brussels.