Here is the list of electric cars purchased by Hungarians in 2025
The Tesla Model Y remains the best-selling electric passenger car in Hungary.
With 1,188 units sold, it ranked 23rd in the domestic new car sales chart, which included 406 models in total. This surpassed popular models such as the Toyota Yaris and RAV4.
The Kia EV3 is a relatively new addition to the market and came second in the rankings. Although sales of this model began at the end of 2024, only 26 units were sold, meaning that 2025 is considered its first full year of sales. The Korean manufacturer has thus repeated its previous success with the e-Niro model.
The Tesla Model 3 came third, but lost a significant number of customers last year. Based on the data, it is unlikely that Elon Musk's political involvement is behind the decline, given that sales of the Model Y have remained stable. It is more likely that demand for the sedan has been weakened by the lack of an index car, stronger competition and the more favourable pricing of the SUV version.
Some previously well-known models also experienced a significant decline.
Only two electric Opel Astras were sold, while 11 Mokkas, one Peugeot e-2008 and two Peugeot e-208s were purchased. Five electric Méganes and 15 Scénics from Renault were sold. Meanwhile, the previously popular BMW iX3, Volvo EX30, BYD Dolphin and Atto 3 lost a significant proportion of their customer base, partly due to increased competition within the brand and partly due to customs duties.
However, there were also some clear success stories. Among the models that sold at least 100 units and achieved minimum growth of 50% were three BMW models: the iX1, iX2, and i5. The sister models, the Ford Explorer and the Volkswagen ID.4, also performed exceptionally well, as did the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The launch of entry-level versions priced at HUF 13–14 million clearly had a positive effect on models based on the MEB platform.
Tesla topped the brand rankings, beating BYD by a small margin. There was fierce competition for third place throughout the year, with BMW ultimately proving to be the better brand than Kia.
Among manufacturers selling at least 50 vehicles, Nissan, MG, Volvo, and Tesla lost customers compared to the previous year. Among brands selling more than 100 cars, Citroën and Renault achieved growth exceeding the market average of 28%, surpassing even Kia in percentage terms.
At group level, Hyundai–Kia had a lead of just 27 cars over Tesla. BYD was close behind in third place, with just 90 vehicles separating the top three.
According to Datahouse figures, the total domestic passenger car market closed 2025 with sales of 129,440 new vehicles, representing a 6% increase compared to 2024. The market share of electric passenger cars approached 10% in December, growing from 7% to 8.5% on average over the year. This can be considered modest, particularly in light of corporate subsidies, when compared to the expected European average of around 20%.
The proportion of non-rechargeable hybrid vehicles fell by 0.4 percentage points, while the share of diesel engines decreased by 0.8 percentage points. Fewer cars were sold in the latter category than in 2024 in nominal terms.
Cover photo: Anindito Mukherjee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
