EU new car registrations through August: up 5.3 percent, electric cars at 21.7 percent

According to ACEA, EU new car registrations through the end of August rose by 5.3 percent year on year. Hybrids remain ahead, while the combined share of petrol and diesel falls to 29 percent.

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The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) published registration figures up to and including August on 24 September 2026. The figures show that EU new passenger car registrations rose by 5.3 percent in the year to date, despite high energy costs and geopolitical uncertainty weighing on the market.

Market shares by powertrain (January to August 2026)

• Hybrids: 36.6 percent, around 2.76 million vehicles
• Battery electric vehicles: 21.7 percent, around 1.64 million vehicles (previous year: 15.8 percent)
• Plug-in hybrids: 10 percent, around 758,000 vehicles
• Petrol and diesel combined: 29 percent (previous year: 37.5 percent)

Differences between countries

Electric car registrations recorded strong growth in France (up 74.2 percent), Germany (up 53.1 percent) and Denmark (up 40.9 percent). Hybrid registrations grew particularly in Spain and Italy, each by around 20 percent.

What B2B partners can take from the figures

The shift towards electrified powertrains is progressing at different speeds across countries. This creates opportunities for cross-border trade: vehicles with lower demand in one market may be easier to sell in another. ACEA will publish the September figures on 22 October 2026.