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 — 2026-03-24
News from Brussels
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.
New EU car registrations by power source
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.
Electric cars
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.
Petrol and diesel cars
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.