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 6121Automotive News Europe — 2026-02-23
Automotive Industry
Volkswagen opened 2026 where it ended 2025 — at the top of Europe’s battery-electric vehicle rankings — but the January figures show that its main rival is no longer Tesla and that the competitive gap is narrowing.
VW brand retained the No. 1 position in January with 17,230 registrations, down 16 percent from a year earlier, according to preliminary figures from market researcher Dataforce covering 98 percent of the volume in the EU, U.K. and EFTA markets.
Only Portugal and Bulgaria have not reported their final registration results for January.
The breadth of its ID family continues to be a strength for VW. The ID3 led the lineup with 5,417 deliveries, followed by the ID4 at 4,829 and the ID7 at 4,663. The ID Buzz added 1,420 units, reinforcing VW’s ability to compete across multiple EV segments.
While VW held its ground, several challengers posted sharp gains.
Renault climbed five places to No. 2 in the January ranking as its BEV sales jumped 65 percent to 14,447 units. The surge was driven primarily by the Renault 5 E-Tech, which generated 7,149 registrations compared with 4,196 a year earlier as it was still being rolled out across Europe.
Additional support came from the Scenic E-Tech at 3,317 and the Megane E-Tech at 1,652. The recently introduced Renault 4 E-Tech added 2,245 units, giving the French automaker fresh momentum in the key small car segment.
Skoda delivered one of the most decisive shifts in the market, rising six spots to third place as sales jumped 91 percent to 14,022 units, according to Dataforce’s figures.
The Elroq has become the brand’s volume leader, posting a Europe-leading 8,426 registrations last month versus 627 during the same month last year as it was entering the market. The Enyaq remained a significant contributor at 4,482 units, even as it declined year over year, with the Enyaq Coupe adding 1,106.
Chinese automaker BYD continued its rapid expansion, climbing six positions to eighth from 14th after nearly doubling BEV sales to 8,711 units. The Dolphin Surf small car led with 3,007 registrations, followed by the Sealion 7 at 1,909 and the Seal at 1,310, underscoring BYD’s widening European footprint despite having to pay the EU’s 27 percent tariff on the BEVs that it builds in China and ships to Europe. BYD is offering deep discounts on its models in Europe to grow its market share.
Ford recorded the largest upward move among the leading brands, rising seven places to 12th as EV sales more than doubled to 7,102 units. The Puma, with 2,840 sales, and Explorer, with 2,539, fueled growth while the Capri contributed 1,128 sales.
Tesla was the month’s most notable decliner. The U.S. BEV maker fell six places to 10th as volume dropped 17 percent to 7,794 units. The Model 3 slumped to 1,119 registrations from 3,410 a year earlier — a two-thirds decline — offsetting gains by the Model Y, which rose to 6,601 from 5,802. The figures highlight how intensifying competition is eroding Tesla’s position in the midsize and midsize SUV segments.
Which segments were tops in Europe?
Europe’s car market is becoming even more SUV-centric, with January figures showing the largest gains concentrated in crossovers — particularly in bigger, higher-margin segments — while traditional passenger cars lose more ground.
Compact SUV were again the region’s biggest segment in January, with 197,867 registrations, up 4.5 percent year over year, according to Dataforce’s figures
The VW T-Roc led with 14,232 sales, edging the VW Tiguan by only 212 units — underscoring how tightly contested the segment has become.
The Kia Sportage and Peugeot 3008 remained close behind, keeping pressure on the VW duo.
Small SUVs were Europe’s second-largest segment with 145,983 registrations down 1.6 percent. The Toyota Yaris Cross led the field, followed by the Peugeot 2008 and Puma, with volumes among the top contenders separated by relatively small margins. Even in a slightly contracting segment, competition remains intense.
The strongest growth came from midsize and large SUVs, where registrations jumped 23 percent to 73,736 units. The Skoda Kodiaq topped the segment, while the BYD Seal U and Tesla Model Y posted significant gains.
In contrast, traditional car segments struggled. Sales of compact cars fell 22 percent to 84,210 units, with the VW Golf still the leader but experiencing a sharp decline. The small car segment dropped 4.9 percent to 131,640 units. Yet it remains one of the most competitive categories: the Renault Clio edged the Peugeot 208 by just 147 units, according to figures from Dataforce.