Car Sales Surge in May as Plug-In Vehicles Reach Record Market Share in Spain

Car sales in Spain saw a sharp rise in May, with new vehicle registrations totaling 112,820 units — an 18.6% increase compared to the same month last year. Analysts from major automotive associations attribute the growth largely to the strong momentum of plug-in vehicles, which now account for nearly one in every five new cars sold. Additional support came from government incentives under the Reinicia Auto+ plan, particularly in areas affected by recent flooding.

With May’s performance, cumulative sales for the first five months of 2025 have soared to 490,711 units. This represents a 13.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024, although the total remains 10.2% below pre-pandemic levels.

All Market Segments Showed Growth

All three main market segments recorded growth in May. Private vehicle registrations rose significantly, with 45,749 units sold — a 22.2% increase year-over-year. The rental sector also performed well, growing by 18.8% to 32,794 vehicles. Meanwhile, corporate sales reached 34,277 units, up 13.7% from May 2024.

A standout figure was the surge in plug-in vehicle sales. In May, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) together accounted for 19.4% of total car registrations — the highest share ever recorded in Spain. Combined, 21,861 plug-in cars were registered last month, marking a 138% increase over the same month last year. From January to May, a total of 77,562 plug-in vehicles were sold — up 71.7% compared to the first five months of 2024 — now representing 15.8% of total market share.

CO2 Emissions Continue to Drop

Environmental performance also improved. The average CO2 emissions from new cars sold in May stood at 104.1 grams per kilometer, which is 12.6% lower than in May 2024. Across the first five months of the year, the average was 108.8 g/km — a 7.6% drop compared to the same period last year.

Toyota Leads the Market

Toyota retained its position as the top-selling brand in May, with 9,401 vehicles sold, ahead of Volkswagen (7,439) and Renault (6,994). The monthly top 10 was completed by Dacia (6,910), Hyundai (6,835), Kia (6,796), SEAT (6,485), Peugeot (6,037), MG (5,333), and Mercedes-Benz (5,251).

Looking at the year-to-date figures, Toyota extended its lead with 40,539 vehicles sold between January and May. Renault followed with 35,599 units, then Volkswagen (30,822), SEAT (30,107), Kia (29,920), Hyundai (27,777), Dacia (27,030), Peugeot (26,964), MG (21,888), and Mercedes-Benz (21,597).

Best-Selling Models and Electric Vehicle Standouts

In May, the Dacia Sandero was once again the best-selling model with 4,063 units, followed by the Renault Clio (2,588) and MG ZS (2,481). The top 10 was rounded out by the Peugeot 208 (2,387), SEAT Ibiza (2,214), Toyota C-HR (2,023), SEAT Arona (2,015), Toyota Yaris (2,001), Toyota Corolla (1,999), and Citroën C4 (1,985).

From January to May, the Dacia Sandero also led cumulative model sales with 16,037 units, trailed by the MG ZS (13,125) and SEAT Ibiza (10,224). Other models in the top 10 included the Renault Clio (10,128), Peugeot 208 (9,710), SEAT Arona (9,484), Renault Captur (9,464), Toyota Corolla (9,022), Nissan Qashqai (8,955), and Hyundai Tucson (8,595).

Among fully electric cars, the Citroën ë-C3 led May registrations with 576 units, followed by the Tesla Model Y (535) and the Kia EV3 (512). Over the first five months of the year, the Tesla Model 3 was the top-selling BEV with 2,638 units, followed by the Kia EV3 (2,320) and Renault 5 (2,060).

In the plug-in hybrid segment, the BYD Seal U took the lead in May with 1,413 registrations, ahead of the Toyota C-HR (1,001) and MG EHS (935). For the year so far, the Toyota C-HR leads with 3,994 units, narrowly ahead of the BYD Seal U (3,983), with the Ford Kuga in third place (2,694).