In the first half of 2026, 1,220,890 new battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were registered, reaching a market share of 20.7% in the European Union. Three of the four main EU markets, which together account for 63% of all battery electric vehicle registrations, recorded strong growth: France +62.9%, Germany +48% and Denmark +41.2%. Belgium also posted an increase (+8.2%), albeit at a more moderate pace. This is according to data released by ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.
First-half 2026 data also show that hybrid vehicle (HEV) registrations rose to 2,198,148 units, supported by growth in Italy (+23%), Spain (+20.8%), Germany (+6.9%) and France (+3.2%). Overall, hybrid models accounted for 37.3% of the total EU market. Plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) registrations continued to grow, reaching 577,735 units in the first half of 2026. Growth was driven primarily by Italy (+84.3%), Spain (+39%) and Germany (+17.9%). Plug-in hybrids now account for 9.8% of new registrations in the EU, compared to 8.5% recorded in the same period of 2025. At the end of June 2026, petrol car registrations fell by 17.2%, with declines across all major European markets. France recorded the sharpest drop (-34.2%), while other major markets also posted double-digit declines: Spain -18.5%, Germany -18.2% and Italy -17.1%. With 1,309,153 new cars registered in the first six months of 2026, the petrol car market share fell to 22.2%, compared to 28.4% in the first half of 2025. Meanwhile, the diesel car market continued its downward trend: registrations fell by 16.5% and diesel now accounts for 7.5% of new registrations, down from 9.4% recorded in the same period of the previous year.
