acf domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home/ecg/ecgassociationdev/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6121ACEA — 2026-02-24
News from Brussels
The battery-electric car market share reached 19.3%, 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 19.3% of the EU market share in January 2026, an increase from the low baseline of 14.9% one year earlier. Hybrid-electric car registrations captured 38.6% of the market, remaining the preferred choice among consumers in the EU. Meanwhile, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 30.1%, down from 39.5% in January 2025.
Electric cars
In January 2026, 154,230 new battery-electric cars were registered, capturing 19.3% of the EU market share. The four largest markets in the EU, which together account for 60% of battery-electric car registrations, delivered mixed results: France (+52.1%) and Germany (+23.8%) recorded strong growth, while Belgium (-11.5%) and the Netherlands (-35.4%) experienced declines.
January 2026 figures also showed new EU hybrid-electric car registrations rising to 308,364 units, supported by growth in Italy (+24.9%) and Spain (+9%), while France remained stable. Completing the four major markets, Germany recorded a decline of 1.8% compared with January 2025. Overall, hybrid-electric models accounted for 38.6% of the total EU market.
Registrations of plug-in-hybrid electric cars continue to show strong growth, reaching 78,741 units in the first month of 2026. This was driven by rising volumes in key markets such as Italy (+134.2%), Spain (+66.7%), and Germany (+23%). As a result, new plug-in-hybrid electric cars now represent 9.8% of EU registrations, up from 7.4% in January last year.
Petrol and diesel cars
In January 2026, petrol car registrations dropped by 28.2%, with all major markets experiencing decreases. France experienced the steepest drop, with registrations plummeting by 48.9%, followed by Germany (-29.9%), Italy (-25.5%), and Spain (-22.5%).
With 175,989 new cars registered last month, the market share for petrol fell to 22% from 29.5% in the same month last year. The diesel car market continued its downward trend, with registrations declining by 22.3% and accounting for 8.1% of new car registrations last January.