Close to one in four (23.6%) of new car registrations in Europe in May 2026 were of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), a new record high for the sector, according to new figures published by New AutoMotive and E-Mobility Europe.
Some 212,387 BEVs were registered in the 17 markets tracked during the month, representing a year-on-year increase of 34.4%, the data showed.
May also continued a broader trends seen since the start of the year – in the first five months of 2026, some 962,010 BEVs were registered, up 31.8% compared with the same period in 2025.
‘Growing demand’
“Electric vehicles are one of Europe’s biggest growth stories in 2026,” commented Chris Heron, secretary general of E-Mobility Europe. “Nearly one in four new cars sold in May were fully electric.
“Consumers and governments alike are responding to Europe’s energy security challenge, with every new electric car sold cutting fuel costs and permanently reducing oil imports. It is particularly encouraging to see European manufacturers benefiting from this growing demand.”
According to the data, seven of the top ten BEVs sold across Europe are from European brands, with some carmakers reporting a significant rise in demand – Renault, for example, reported a 50% increase in its EV orderbook over the past month.
Country by country
France emerged as one of the strongest-performing European markets, achieving a 29.5% BEV market share in May as it ‘doubled down on electrification to address its energy insecurity and oil dependence’.
In percentage terms, meanwhile, Italy remains the fastest-growing market – with registrations more than doubling following the introduction of new subsidies. Italian consumers registered 13,276 BEVs in May, reaching a 8.8% market share.
Germany, Europe’s largest automotive market, recorded almost 60,000 BEV registrations in May, equivalent to a 25% market share, with sales up by 41.5% in the year to date.
The Nordics and Benelux countries maintained their high market share, with Denmark reaching a BEV share of 78.7%, Finland 49.6%, Sweden 41.2%, Netherlands 41.3%, and Belgium 36.8%.
Elsewhere, countries including Spain, Poland, Romania and Slovakia posted strong growth rates during 2026, although electric vehicles still represent at or below 10% of new vehicle sales. Read more here.
BEV Market Share & Sales Growth by Country
| Rank | Country | Registrations | Market Share (%) | YTD Registrations | YTD Market Share (%) | YTD Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italy | 13,276 | 8.8 | 64,575 | 6.1 | 100.8 |
| 2 | France | 37,853 | 29.5 | 187,001 | 27.6 | 54.6 |
| 3 | Ireland | 2,334 | 29.0 | 19,152 | 23.0 | 54.5 |
| 4 | Romania | 839 | 7.5 | 4,067 | 8.4 | 44.7 |
| 5 | Germany | 59,969 | 25.0 | 283,331 | 23.9 | 41.5 |
| 6 | Denmark | 15,020 | 78.7 | 63,656 | 79.8 | 41.4 |
| 7 | Finland | 3,309 | 49.6 | 14,156 | 47.9 | 38.3 |
| 8 | Spain | 12,102 | 10.8 | 51,978 | 9.0 | 33.9 |
| 9 | Poland | 2,015 | 4.1 | 13,507 | 5.5 | 28.9 |
| 10 | Portugal | 7,071 | 28.2 | 25,794 | 25.2 | 26.4 |
| 11 | Czechia | 1,346 | 6.6 | 6,458 | 6.3 | 16.3 |
| 12 | Switzerland | 5,097 | 25.8 | 21,119 | 23.1 | 14.8 |
| 13 | Luxembourg | 1,261 | 32.0 | 6,175 | 28.9 | 9.9 |
| 14 | Belgium | 12,604 | 36.8 | 66,059 | 35.4 | 2.9 |
| 15 | Norway | 15,210 | 97.8 | 52,779 | 98.0 | -0.3 |
| 16 | Sweden | 10,718 | 41.2 | 36,272 | 41.4 | -6.9 |
| 17 | Netherlands | 12,363 | 41.3 | 44,472 | 30.0 | -9.4 |
