ACEA — 2026-10-22
Automotive Industry
Demand for a range of electrified vehicles remained strong, particularly in major European markets, supported by buyer support measures and a broader model offering. Hybrid-electric vehicles ranked as the most popular powertrain choice among buyers, whereas battery-electric cars and plug-in hybrids accounted for 22.7% and 10.1% of the EU market, respectively.
New EU car registrations by power source
Up until September 2026, battery-electric cars secured a 22.7% share of the EU market, up from 16.1% a year earlier. Hybrid-electric car registrations captured 36.3% of the market, remaining the preferred choice among EU consumers. At the same time, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 28.2%, compared with 36.9% a year earlier.
Electric cars
In the first nine months of 2026, 1,931,465 new battery-electric cars were registered, capturing 22.7% of the EU market and establishing them as the second most popular powertrain choice year-to-date. Three of the four largest EU markets, which together accounted for 64% of all battery-electric car registrations, recorded strong growth: France (+79.1%), Germany (+58.1%), and Denmark (+40.3%). Belgium also posted a more moderate 15.7% increase.
September 2026 YTD’s figures also showed new EU hybrid-electric car registrations rising to 3,090,530 units, supported by growth in Italy (+20.8%) and Spain (+20.5%), alongside more modest gains in Germany (+4.9%) and France (+0.6%). Overall, hybrid-electric models accounted for 36.3% of the total EU market.
Plug-in-hybrid electric car registrations continued to grow, reaching 860,257 units in January-September 2026. This underlying trend was driven by rising volumes in key markets such as Italy (+72.4%), Spain (+34.7%), and Germany (+13.7%). New plug-in-hybrid electric cars represent 10.1% of EU registrations, up from 9% over the same period in 2025.
Petrol and diesel cars
By the end of September 2026, petrol car registrations continued to decline, falling by 19.1%, with significant downturns across all major European markets. France saw the sharpest decline, with volumes plunging by 36.1%, while other key markets also posted double-digit losses: Germany (-22.7%), Spain (-19%), and Italy (-16.4%).
With 1,802,078 new cars registered over the past nine months, petrol’s market share dropped to 21.2% from 27.7% last year. Additionally, the diesel car market continued its downward trend, with registrations declining by 19.5% and representing 7.1% of new EU car registrations, down from 9.3%.