Romania, in the top of the countries with the lightest new cars

Romania is among the European countries where the average mass of new passenger cars is the lowest, according to a European analysis of the characteristics of the car fleet and new vehicle registrations. The result reflects the preference of Romanian buyers for cars in the small and compact segments, but also the high share of models with conventional engines, which are lighter than their electric equivalents. At the European level, the average weight of new passenger cars has been increasing for several years, a phenomenon fueled by the popularity of SUVs and the expansion of the electric vehicle market, whose batteries add several hundred kilograms to the total mass of the car. According to data used by the European Commission to set emissions targets, the average test mass of new passenger cars registered in the period 2022-2023 reached approximately 1,650 kilograms.

• Norway leads the heavy vehicle ranking

At the opposite extreme is Norway, where new cars are the heaviest in Europe. The explanation is linked to the accelerated transition to electric mobility: almost all new cars sold on the Norwegian market are fully electric, and large batteries significantly increase the mass of vehicles. Data from the European Environment Agency shows that Norway has the highest share of electric cars in new registrations in Europe, which contributes both to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and to increasing the average mass of vehicles. In 2025, 96% of new cars registered in this country were fully electric.

• Vehicle mass is becoming an increasingly important indicator

Experts point out that the increase in the mass of cars is a general trend at European level, determined both by electrification and by the orientation of consumers towards SUVs and larger models. Although electric vehicles contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in operation, their higher weight can affect tire wear, road wear, and resource consumption for production. In Romania, the still low share of electric cars and the success of small and compact models, including those produced locally, keep the average mass of new cars below the level recorded in many countries in western and northern Europe.