25 March 2025
Portugal has one of the most developed electric vehicle (EV) markets in Europe. Which battery-electric vehicle (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models have proved popular in the country? Tom Hooker, Autovista24 journalist, explores the figures.
Combining BEV and PHEV deliveries, EV sales in Portugal grew by 10% in 2024. This helped the market reach overall growth while petrol and diesel registrations declined year on year.
A total of 69,882 plug-ins were delivered last year, according to data from EV Volumes. Plug-ins accounted for 33.3% of the country’s new-car market in 2024, up from a 33.2% hold in 2023.
Comparatively, France recorded an EV share of 25.7%, Germany 20.2%, Spain 11.5%, and Italy 7.6%.
BEV deliveries in Portugal grew by 15.2% in 2024, reaching 41,932 registrations. The technology took a 20% market share last year and made up 60% of EV deliveries. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) saw sales increase by 3%, recording 27,950 units. This gave the powertrain a 13.3% market share.
Portugal EV growth
Portugal’s EV market has seen double-digit growth every year so far this decade. Volumes surged significantly in 2023, with a triple-digit BEV increase driving growth. PHEVs saw a strong improvement in 2020, with sales soaring by 103.7%.
PHEVs jumped from an 8.2% share at the start of the decade to a 13.3% share in 2024. This is despite a 0.5 percentage point (pp) drop between 2022 and 2023. Conversely, BEVs have seen shares grow every year since 2020.
PHEVs began the decade on top of the EV market, with a 60.2% share in 2020. However, BEVs overtook the technology in 2022 and have continued to extend their lead. All-electric vehicles represented 60% of plug-in volumes in 2024.
In January 2025, BEV deliveries improved by 33.7%, with 3,335 units, according to EV Volumes latest data. PHEVs dropped by 10.3% year on year, with 1,943 registrations in January. This meant EV deliveries grew 13.3% in the month.
Incentive changes
‘Portugal has had incentives since 2010. They were interrupted between 2012 to 2014 and resumed in 2015. The value decreased from 2011 to 2015, and after that, we had an increase in the amount, but rules have changed over the last 10 years,’ explained Joao Areal, cluster head of valuations for Portugal, Italy and Spain at Autovista Group.
The Portuguese government now provides a €4,000 incentive for private buyers purchasing a new BEV passenger car. There are no incentives available for PHEVs. The eligibility requirements have become more restrictive since the current amount was first introduced in 2022.
In 2023, all-electric vehicles with a final purchase cost greater than €62,500 were no longer included in the scheme. Now, further restrictions have been made to the incentive.
‘Since the end of 2024, we had an additional condition to receive the €4,000 incentive when purchasing an EV. Buyers will have to deliver an internal-combustion engine car over 10 years old for scrapping. For the private sector, the amount could be higher, while this new condition may slow down EV purchasing,’ Areal highlighted.
Furthermore, the BEV eligibility ceiling has significantly decreased from €62,500 to €38,500. However, recent amendments mean vehicles with between six and nine seats have a list price ceiling of €55,000 plus VAT.
BEVs are exempt from paying vehicle tax (ISV) and single circulation tax (IUC). New all-electric vehicles also receive a total deduction of VAT, provided it was sold for €62,500 or lower.
PHEVs with a minimum all-electric range of 50km and official CO2 emissions of less than 50g/km also enjoy a 75% reduction in ISV. This support will be extended to PHEVs registered in the EU between 2015 and 2020 that have an electric range of at least 25km.
Tesla on top in Portugal
The Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling BEV in Portugal in January. The sedan reached 328 registrations in the first month of the year, equating to a 10.4% increase compared to January 2024.
It accounted for 9.8% of all BEV sales in the country, down 2.1pp year on year. The Model 3 comfortably led the market, recording double the deliveries of its nearest rival.
The Peugeot e-2008 secured second with 164 units, while the Dacia Spring was close behind in third with 162 registrations. Both models saw volumes surge compared to January 2024, with a 412.5% and 350% increase respectively. The two also recorded a 4.9% market share.
The BYD Atto 3 finished fourth, thanks to 122 deliveries. This was a 100% improvement from one year ago and gave it a 3.7% share. Just one unit behind was the Volvo EX30, which increased volumes by 86.2%. The SUV took a 3.6% share of the BEV market.
The Kia EV3 also followed with a one-unit gap, securing 120 deliveries. In seventh was the BYD Seal, reaching 102 registrations. This represented a surge of 343.5% year on year. The combined total of the Renault 5 and Alpine A290 landed in eighth, at 101 units.
In ninth was the BMW iX1. The SUV posted 94 deliveries, a 104.3% improvement compared to January 2024. Its stablemate, the BMW i4, rounded out the top 10. It recorded 85 registrations, a drop of 36.6% year on year.
Volvo leads Portugal’s PHEVs
Volvo led the Portuguese PHEV market in January with its XC60. The model reached 102 deliveries in the month, an increase of just two units from 12 months prior. This gave it a 5.2% share of the plug-in hybrid market.
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class landed second with 92 units, a 52.8% drop year on year. It accounted for 4.7% of PHEV registrations. In third was the BMW X1, with 85 deliveries and a 4.4% market share. This was a 203.6% improvement compared to January 2024. The Cupra Formentor saw volumes rise by 228% in fourth, with 82 units.
In fifth was the BMW 2-Series, recording 75 units. This equated to a 53.1% increase from 12 months previous. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class came sixth, with 74 deliveries, down 21.3%. In seventh was the BMW 3-Series, which improved registrations by 20.3% year on year, with 71 units.
Its stablemate, the BMW 5-Series, was one unit behind, doubling its delivery total from January 2024. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class also recorded 70 units. However, this represented a 26.3% decline year on year. This meant seven German models featured in Portugal’s top 10 PHEV table. Lastly, the BYD Seal U finished in 10th place, with 61 units.
