Spain's electric vehicle market is gaining momentum with record sales, expanding charging infrastructure, and innovative energy projects, despite regional disparities and increasing competition from European and Chinese brands.
Spain’s electric vehicle (EV) market is clearly showing promising signs of growth and gaining significant momentum. While it still lags behind some neighboring European countries, recent data indicates that both EV sales and charging infrastructure are expanding steadily, signaling Spain’s increasing commitment to electrification.
Matteo Craglia, a Senior Fellow at UC Davis’s ITS-Davis European Transport and Energy Research Centre (ETERC), reports that in the first half of 2025, EVs comprised approximately 17% of new car sales in Spain. Although this is a positive increase, it remains below the European average of about 24% for the same period. Craglia emphasizes that Spain is “putting their money where their mouth is,” but still faces challenges ahead. Data from ANFAC, the Spanish Association of Automobile and Truck Manufacturers, supports this upward trend, revealing that EV sales in the first half of 2025 surged by 130.7% compared to the previous year, totaling 24,776 new units. Additionally, the sector recorded a new monthly sales record, although the specific month is not specified in the source. Overall, in 2025, 102,348 electrified vehicles were sold, representing an 83% increase from the previous year.
F\u00e9lix Garcia, ANFAC’s Director of Communications and Marketing, notes that despite delays in receiving the MOVES III government incentives—whose funds are not expected until the end of 2025—market growth remains robust. The total passenger vehicle sales in Spain for the first half of 2025 are projected to reach about 1.1 million units, progressively closing in on the 1.25 million units sold in 2019, suggesting an optimistic outlook for the remainder of the year.
Further reinforcing this positive trajectory, data from El Pa\u00eds shows that September 2025 set new records for EV registrations, nearly doubling figures from the same month last year. This surge is driven by aggressive promotions from manufacturers and substantial subsidies through the MOVES III scheme, although regional disparities in fund disbursement and charging infrastructure remain. The Spanish government, collaborating with industry stakeholders via the Auto 2030 Plan, aims to address these challenges, focusing on facilitating the transition to electric mobility and strengthening the country’s competitiveness against Asian automakers. As EV adoption accelerates, the average emissions of new vehicles have reached historic lows, reflecting environmental benefits.
However, the growth isn’t uniform across all segments. Private consumers have been leading the charge, with private sector EV adoption surpassing 9%, while corporate and rental vehicle sectors trail at 7.2% and 3%, respectively. Meanwhile, sales of electric industrial vehicles and buses have declined by 23.6% in April, showing a decrease of 14.3% for the year thus far, indicating room for further development in public and commercial EV markets.
Tesla’s experience in Spain highlights some of the challenges faced by international automakers amidst a rapidly growing EV market. Despite the overall rise in EV sales, Tesla's April 2025 sales declined by 36% compared to April 2024, with only 571 units sold. This drop is attributed to increasing competition from European and Chinese brands such as BYD, MG, and Omoda, whose sales grew by 644%, 80%, and 346%, respectively, during the same period. Additionally, Elon Musk’s political stance and support for far-right movements in Europe have caused backlash, including protests and vandalism of Tesla facilities. Nonetheless, Tesla's sales recovered somewhat by July, with a 27% year-over-year increase compared to July 2024, indicating resilience amid intensified competition.
Charging infrastructure plays a vital role in supporting EV adoption. As of July 2025, there were approximately 47,593 public charging points across Spain, a 4.87% increase over December 2024. Although growth continues, geographic imbalances remain significant; over 60% of the more than 26,000 charging points are concentrated in just four regions: Catalonia, Madrid, Valencia, and Andalusia. Rural areas, such as Extremadura, which has only about 500 points, are considerably underserved, and more than a quarter of the existing infrastructure is non-operational due to maintenance issues. To address this, Spain’s TSO, Red El\u00e9ctrica, launched the REVE map, which provides real-time data on the location, availability, and prices of over 25,600 charging points and aims to expand as more operators contribute data. Expert Pierpaolo Cazzola highlights this as a significant step toward building an integrated, transparent charging network, vital for fostering consumer confidence and streamlining EV use.
Beyond infrastructure, energy efficiency initiatives like Barcelona’s MetroCharge project demonstrate innovative approaches to sustainable mobility. This system captures energy generated during train braking to power nearby charging stations and other systems, further supplemented by solar power sources, thereby reducing operating costs and emissions. While progress is evident, expanding charging networks and encouraging wider EV adoption continue to be key challenges.
Overall, Spain’s EV landscape is making significant strides in sales, infrastructure, and technological innovation. Although it still trails behind the European average in market share and infrastructure coverage, ongoing public and private sector efforts—such as incentives through MOVES III and the development of comprehensive data transparency tools like the REVE map—are paving the way for continued growth. These developments will be crucial in achieving Spain’s goals of cleaner, more sustainable transportation and maintaining a competitive position in the evolving automotive industry.
Source: Noah Wire Services
