New passenger car registrations in the European Union rose 5.7% in the first half of 2026 as demand for electrified vehicles continued to grow despite geopolitical headwinds, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
Battery electric vehicles increased their market share to 20.7% from 15.6% a year earlier, while hybrid electric models remained the most popular powertrain with a 37.3% share of registrations. Combined petrol and diesel market share fell to 29.7%.
The market continued to benefit from consumer demand for electrified vehicles supported by market measures. Hybrid electric vehicles remained the leading choice across the region, while battery electric and plug in hybrid models continued to gain ground at the expense of conventional powertrains.
The EU recorded 1.22 million battery electric registrations during the first six months of the year. France, Germany and Denmark posted strong growth, while hybrid registrations reached 2.2 million units. Plug in hybrid registrations climbed to 577,735 vehicles and represented 9.8% of the market. Petrol registrations fell 17.2% and diesel registrations declined 16.5% compared with the same period in 2025.
“The market continued to benefit from robust consumer demand for a range of electrified technologies, driven primarily by market support measures.”
Courtesy of ACEA