New car registrations: +4% in Q1 2026; battery-electric 19.4% market share
in ACEA, 23-04-2026
In Q1 2026, new EU car registrations increased by 4%, driven largely by March’s strong performance.
The market was supported by robust consumer activity bolstered by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries – see further details in Electric cars: Tax benefits and incentives (2026). 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
The market was supported by robust consumer activity bolstered by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries – see further details in Electric cars: Tax benefits and incentives (2026). 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.
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 over 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.
In Q1 2026, new EU car registrations increased by 4%, driven largely by March’s strong performance. The market was supported by robust consumer activity bolstered by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries.
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