The share of electric vehicles in the new passenger car market in Ukraine in 2025 increased to 28.3% from 14.5% a year ago, while cars with traditional engines (gasoline and diesel) accounted for only half of the market compared to more than 65% in 2024, Ukravtoprom reported on its Telegram channel.
“Models with gasoline engines remained the most popular, but their market share decreased from 40% to 32.3% compared to 2024,” the association said.
In particular, the diesel car segment decreased from 25.6% to 17.4%, while the share of hybrids increased from 19.5% to 21.8%.
Cars equipped with gas cylinder equipment (LPG) again accounted for less than 1% of the new passenger car market.
According to Ukravtoprom, the Hyundai Tucson took the lead in the gasoline car segment, the Volkswagen ID.Unyx in electric cars, the Toyota RAV-4 in hybrids, the Renault Duster in diesel cars, and the Hyundai Tucson in cars with LPG equipment.
According to Ukravtoprom, in 2025, the market for new passenger cars in Ukraine grew by 17% to 81,300 units, including a 2.2-fold increase in December to 12,400 units.
These figures are due to the sharp growth in sales of electric vehicles in the last months of 2025, given the cancellation of VAT exemptions during their customs clearance from the beginning of 2026. In December, according to AUTO-Consulting, the share of electric vehicles exceeded 50% of sales.
According to market experts, after the announcement of the abolition of VAT exemptions, prices for electric vehicles began to rise, and by the beginning of 2026, prices for both used and new electric vehicles had effectively offset the 20% VAT.
Ukrzaliznytsia has equipped 100 of its own railcars as temporary mobile heating, communication, and leisure centers in response to power outages across the country, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Ukrzaliznytsia, with the help of its partners—All Hands&Hearts, World Central Kitchen, Hachiko Foundation, and White Stork—has equipped 100 of its railcars as temporary mobile heating, communication, and leisure centers,” the company said in a statement on its Telegram channel.
It is noted that the railcars have a full heating system. In addition, they are equipped with chargers from generators and portable power sources, microwaves, refrigerators, and Starlink kits for uninterrupted communication.
Ukrzaliznytsia added that each of the 100 carriages can be used at the request of local authorities as a free mobile hub with a constant autonomous power supply.
Separately, the company noted that the cars have a children’s compartment equipped with play sets, as well as a compartment for a comfortable stay with pets.
Romanian border guards are not allowing many cars arriving from Ukraine to cross the border without proof of technical inspection, according to eyewitnesses.
To cross the border, drivers are required to present a technical inspection certificate confirming that the vehicle is in good working order. It is also necessary to have documents for entry and travel, including passport documents, car papers, and insurance, and in some cases, confirmation of the purpose of the trip and a power of attorney when driving someone else’s car.
The Romanian border police previously indicated that during border control, drivers must present an identity document, a valid driver’s license, vehicle registration documents, and confirmation of a valid periodic technical inspection, which must be valid at the time of presentation at the checkpoint.
In addition, border guards remind travelers that customs restrictions on entry into Romania apply to meat and dairy products, honey, and cash in excess of €10,000, which must be declared.
Passenger traffic across the Ukrainian border in the third week of December, from December 13 to 19, jumped by 26.3% to 562,000 as Christmas approached, and this weekend the increase reached 50%, causing queues at the border with Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia, according to data from the State Border Service.
According to them, the number of border crossings for departure increased to 279,000 from 226,000 a week earlier, while the increase for entry was even more significant – to 283,000 from 219,000.
This Saturday, December 20, the number of border crossings for exit and entry was also similar – 62,000 and 63,000, compared to 41,000 and 39,000, respectively, on the previous Saturday.
The number of vehicles that passed through checkpoints this week also jumped to 140,000 from 123,000 a week earlier, while the flow of vehicles carrying humanitarian cargo remained at around 520.
According to the State Border Service, as of 12:00 on Sunday, there were no queues at the border with Romania and Poland, while at the borders with three other countries, there were queues at all checkpoints.
At the border with Poland, most passenger cars and buses were waiting to cross at the Krakovets checkpoint – 150 and 20, respectively. The queue at the Ustyluh checkpoint consisted of 125 cars and 15 buses, at the Rava-Ruska checkpoint – 110 cars, Smilnytsia checkpoint – 85 cars and 6 buses, Shehyni checkpoint – 80 cars and 19 buses, Hrushev checkpoint – 80 cars and 9 buses, Nizhankovychi checkpoint – 80 cars and 1 bus, Ugrinov checkpoint – 75 cars and 9 buses, Yagodin checkpoint – 30 buses (passage of passenger cars is temporarily suspended).
Forty passenger cars and two buses were waiting to cross the border with Slovakia at the Uzhgorod checkpoint, and 30 cars were waiting at the Maly Berezny checkpoint.
At the border with Hungary, the longest queues were at the Luzhanka and Dzvinovo checkpoints, with 50 and 45 cars, respectively. There were 30 cars at the Kosino and Vilok checkpoints and 5 at the Tisa checkpoint.
The total number of border crossings this week is slightly lower than last year. At that time, 294,000 people left Ukraine and 290,000 entered the country over the same 7 days, although the flow of cars was lower – 134,000.
Last year, a 28.1% jump in passenger traffic was recorded this week, and the following week it increased by another 12.5%.
As reported, from May 10, 2022, the outflow of refugees from Ukraine, which began with the start of the war, was replaced by an influx that continued until September 23, 2022, and amounted to 409,000 people. However, since the end of September, possibly influenced by news of mobilization in Russia and “pseudo-referendums” in the occupied territories, followed by massive shelling of energy infrastructure, the number of people leaving has exceeded the number of people entering. In total, from the end of September 2022 to the first anniversary of the full-scale war, it reached 223,000 people.
During the second year of full-scale war, the number of border crossings to leave Ukraine, according to the State Border Service, exceeded the number of crossings to enter by 25,000, during the third year by 187,000, and since the beginning of the fourth year by 203,000.
As Sergei Sobolev, then Deputy Minister of Economy, noted in early March 2023, the return of every 100,000 Ukrainians home results in a 0.5% increase in GDP.
In its July inflation report, the National Bank worsened its migration forecast: while in April it expected a net inflow of 0.2 million people to Ukraine in 2026, it now forecasts a net outflow of 0.2 million, which corresponds to the estimate of the net outflow this year. “Net return will only begin in 2027 (about 0.1 million people, compared to 0.5 million in the previous forecast),” the NBU added and confirmed this forecast at the end of October. In absolute terms, the National Bank estimates the number of migrants currently remaining abroad at about 5.8 million.
According to updated UNHCR data, the number of Ukrainian refugees in Europe as of December 11, 2025, was estimated at 5.311 million (5.331 million as of November 14), and 5.860 million (5.850 million) worldwide.
In Ukraine itself, according to the latest UN data for July this year, there are 3.340 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), compared to 3.757 million in April.
In October this year, Ukrainians purchased 3,114 thousand passenger cars imported from China, which is 2.6 times more than in the same month last year, according to UkrAvtoprom on its Telegram channel.
It is noted that most of the passenger cars purchased from China were new — 2,512 units, which is 2.6 times more than last year. Demand for used cars also increased more than 2.6 times — 602 units were imported.
The vast majority of passenger cars from China were electric vehicles – 92%.
The most popular models of new passenger cars of Chinese origin were Volkswagen ID.UNYX – 441 units; BYD Song Plus – 391 units; BYD Leopard 3 – 261 units; Zeekr 7X – 169 units; BYD Sea Lion 07 – 150 units.
The most frequently purchased used cars were Zeekr 001 – 57 units; BYD Sea Lion 07 – 45 units; Volkswagen ID.UNYX – 36 units; Zeekr 7X – 33 units; and Audi Q4 – 30 units.
As reported, in January-October of this year, China was among the top three countries from which Ukraine imported passenger cars after Germany and the United States, with a share of 13.8% of total imports or $663 million, while in the same period of 2024, it was not among the top three.
In 2024, Ukrainians purchased about 14,400 cars imported from China, which is 18% more than in 2023. Demand for new cars grew by 37% to 11,000 units, while demand for used cars fell by 20% to 3,300 units.
In addition, according to UkrAvtoprom, in October 2025, Ukrainians purchased more than 5,800 used cars imported from the United States, which is 2.2 times more than in the same period of 2024.
The largest share of this number (49%) was electric cars, while gasoline cars accounted for 36%, hybrids – 8%, diesel cars – 4%, and cars with LPG systems – 3%.
The average age of the used American cars that joined the Ukrainian car fleet in October was 5.2 years.
The five most popular used cars manufactured in the US were Tesla Model Y – 900 units; Tesla Model 3 – 841 units; Ford Escape – 408 units; Nissan Rogue – 273 units; Tesla Model S – 270 units.
Ukraine ranked 25th out of 25 in the 2025 European used car market transparency index from carVertical. According to the study, 54.72% of the cars inspected had registered damage, 9.46% had signs of odometer tampering, 78.38% were imported used cars, and the average age was 10.58 years.
The leaders in the ranking are the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany. In these countries, the risks of mileage manipulation and hidden damage are significantly lower than the European average, according to the authors of the study.
The carVertical index is based on six criteria and covers the period from October 2024 to September 2025.
The methodology and country cards are available on the research project website.
