Photo: ACEA
The European car market is sending an increasingly clear signal: the future is electric. According to the latest figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), new EU car registrations rose by 4.2% year-to-date in April 2026, despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and economic headwinds. But the most important development lies beneath the overall growth figure: electric and electrified vehicles are rapidly gaining ground, while petrol and diesel cars continue to lose market share.
Battery-electric vehicles reached a 19.7% market share in the EU in the first four months of 2026, up significantly from 15.3% in the same period last year. In total, 746,899 new battery-electric cars were registered across the EU. This strong increase underlines how quickly electric mobility is moving from a niche market into the automotive mainstream.
Growth was particularly strong in three of the EU’s largest electric vehicle markets. Italy recorded a remarkable 73.1% increase in battery-electric registrations, followed by France with 48.2% and Germany with 41.3%. Together, these markets represent a major share of Europe’s EV momentum and show that consumer demand for fully electric cars is accelerating across key regions.
Hybrid-electric vehicles remain the most popular powertrain choice among EU buyers, accounting for 38.2% of the market with 1,447,864 registrations. Plug-in hybrids also continued to grow, reaching a 9.6% market share, compared with 7.9% one year earlier. This means that electrified vehicles now clearly dominate the direction of market growth in Europe.
At the same time, the decline of traditional combustion engines is becoming more visible. The combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 30.2%, down from 38.1% in April 2025 year-to-date. Petrol registrations dropped by 17.7%, with double-digit declines in all major EU markets. France saw the sharpest fall at -36.6%, followed by Spain, Italy and Germany.
Petrol cars now account for only 22.5% of the EU market, down from 28.5% one year earlier. Diesel continues its long-term decline as well, falling by 16.1% and representing just 7.7% of new car registrations.
The figures confirm a structural transformation of the European automotive market. While hybrid technologies currently serve as an important bridge for many consumers, the rapid rise of battery-electric vehicles and the simultaneous decline of petrol and diesel cars point clearly in one direction: Europe’s mobility future is increasingly electric.
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