Click to enlarge.
During March 2026 year-to-date (YTD), new EU car registrations fell by 1.2% compared to the same period last year, according to data published today by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. [aka ACEA at AutoInformed after its original French name- AutoCrat]* However, new car registrations were +4% in Q1 2026 with battery-electric powertrains taking a 19.4% market share.**
“The market was supported by robust consumer activity bolstered by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries,” ACEA said in a release.
Click to enlarge.
“Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the most popular power type choice among buyers, while the battery-electric car market share reached 19.4%. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids continued to strengthen their position, underlining the importance of a technology-neutral pathway to decarbonisation.”
New EU Car Registrations By Power Source
- Battery-electric cars accounted for 19.4% of the EU market share in Q1 2026, an increase from 15.2% one year earlier.
- Hybrid-electric car registrations captured 38.6% of the market, remaining the preferred choice among consumers in the EU.
- The combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 30.3%, down from 38.2% in Q1 2025.
*AutoInformed on
**About ACEA
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the 17 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Renault Group, Stellantis, Toyota Motor Europe, TRATON GROUP, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo Group.
About the EU automobile industry
- 6 million Europeans work in the automotive sector.
- 1% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU.
- €414.7 billion in tax revenue for European governments.
- €93.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union.
- More than 8% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry.
- €84.6 billion in R&D spending annually, 34% of EU total.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Hybrids Rule New EU Car Registrations in March and Q1 2026
Click to enlarge.
During March 2026 year-to-date (YTD), new EU car registrations fell by 1.2% compared to the same period last year, according to data published today by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. [aka ACEA at AutoInformed after its original French name- AutoCrat]* However, new car registrations were +4% in Q1 2026 with battery-electric powertrains taking a 19.4% market share.**
“The market was supported by robust consumer activity bolstered by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries,” ACEA said in a release.
Click to enlarge.
“Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the most popular power type choice among buyers, while the battery-electric car market share reached 19.4%. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids continued to strengthen their position, underlining the importance of a technology-neutral pathway to decarbonisation.”
New EU Car Registrations By Power Source
*AutoInformed on
**About ACEA
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) represents the 17 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Renault Group, Stellantis, Toyota Motor Europe, TRATON GROUP, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo Group.
About the EU automobile industry
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.