24 March 2026
In February 2026 year-to-date (YTD), new EU car registrations fell by 1.2% compared to the same period last year, easing the challenging start to the year witnessed in January.
The battery-electric car market share reached 18.8% YTD, highlighting the continued potential for further growth.
Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the most popular power type choice among buyers, with plug-in hybrids consolidating their position in the market, underlining the importance of a technology-neutral pathway to decarbonisation.
Battery-electric cars accounted for 18.8% of the EU market share in January-February 2026, an increase from 15.2% one year earlier.
Hybrid-electric car registrations captured 38.7% of the market, remaining the preferred choice among consumers in the EU.
Meanwhile, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 30.6%, down from 38.7% over the same period in 2025.
From January to February 2026, 312,369 new battery-electric cars were registered, capturing 18.8% of the EU market share.
The four largest markets in the EU, which together account for 61% of battery-electric car registrations, delivered mixed results: France (+38.5%) and Germany (+26.3%) recorded strong growth, while Belgium (-11%) and the Netherlands (-34.9%) experienced substantial declines.
February 2026 YTD figures also showed new EU hybrid-electric car registrations rising to 643,898 units, supported by growth in Italy (+29.5%) and Spain (+13.4%), while Germany remained quite stable (+1.1%).
Completing the four major markets, France recorded a decline of 3.9% compared with the first two months of 2025. Overall, hybrid-electric models accounted for 38.7% of the total EU market.
Registrations of plug-in-hybrid electric cars continue to show strong growth, reaching 162,751 units in the first two months of 2026.
This was driven by rising volumes in key markets such as Italy (+116.1%), Spain (+71.5%), and Germany (+23.8%).
As a result, new plug-in-hybrid electric cars now represent 9.8% of EU registrations, up from 7.4% in the same period last year.
In February 2026 YTD, petrol car registrations dropped by 23.3%, with all major markets experiencing decreases.
France experienced the steepest drop, with registrations plummeting by 48.5%, followed by Germany (-22.8%), Spain (-20.8%), and Italy (-18.6%).
With 374,774 new cars registered the last two months, the market share for petrol fell to 22.5% from 29% in the same period last year.
The diesel car market continued its downward trend, with registrations declining by 17.7% and accounting for 8.1% of new car registrations from January to February.
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