Electric Cars

In the first quarter of 2026, 546,937 new battery-electric cars were registered, capturing 19.4% of the EU market share. The four largest markets in the EU, which together account for more than 60% of battery-electric car registrations, delivered mixed results: Italy (+65.7%), France (+50.4%) and Germany (+41.3%) recorded strong growth. In contrast, Belgium (- 2.3%) experienced a decline.

Q1 2026’s figures also showed new EU hybrid-electric car registrations rising to 1,089,421 units, supported by growth in Italy (+25.8%) and Spain (+18.5%), with Germany (+7.4%) and France (+3.1%) also contributing positively. Overall, hybrid-electric models accounted for 38.6% of the total EU market.

Registrations of plug-in-hybrid electric cars continue to show growth, reaching 268,344 units in the first three months of 2026. This was driven by rising volumes in key markets such as Italy (+110.1%), Spain (+74.2%), and Germany (+19.3%). As a result, new plug-in-hybrid electric cars now represent 9.5% of EU registrations, up from 7.6% in Q1 2025.

Petrol and Diesel Cars

By the end of the first quarter of 2026, petrol car registrations decreased by 18.2%, with declines across all major markets. France saw the most significant contraction, with registrations plummeting by 40.3%, whereas other key markets also saw double-digit decreases: Italy (-18.6%), Spain (-18.1%), and Germany (-16.1%). With 636,502 new cars registered the last three months, the market share for petrol fell to 22.6% from 28.7% in Q1 2025. The diesel car market also continued its downward trend, albeit at a slower pace, with registrations declining by 15.7% and accounting for 7.7% of new car registrations in Q1 2026