Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) now account for one in five vehicles registered across the European Union, according to new data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
In the year to date (i.e. to May 2026), BEV registrations accounted for 20% of all registrations across Europe, up from 15.3% a year earlier. Hybrid-electric car registrations captured 37.8% of the market, accounting for the highest share of new registrations over the period.
New EU car registrations increased by 4% year-on-year between January and May, despite what ACEA described as ‘persistent geopolitical headwinds weighing on the outlook’. Electric models saw ‘robust consumer demand’, it noted, driven by ‘new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes’.
Battery-electric registrations
A total of 950,521 BEVs were registered across the bloc, with growth largely driven by several major European markets. Italy recorded the strongest increase, with registrations rising 75.7%, while France and Germany reported growth of 55.4% and 40.9% respectively. Belgium also expanded, although at a more modest rate of 2.8%.
Registrations of hybrid-electric vehicles totalled close to 1.8 million units, with growth led by Italy and Spain, where registrations increased by 24.5% and 19.5%, respectively.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles saw registrations rise to 460,217 units during the first five months of the year, representing a market share of 9.7%. This compares with a share of 8.3% recorded during the same period in 2025. Italy again led growth, with registrations increasing by 84.9%, followed by Spain and Germany.
Petrol and diesel decline
At the same time, petrol car registrations fell by 18.2% across the EU, with France recording the steepest drop, of 36.8%, and Spain, Germany and Italy also posting double-digit declines. Petrol vehicles accounted for 22.4% of all new registrations, down from 28.5% a year earlier.
Diesel registrations also decreased, falling by 16.6%, to account for 7.6% of new car registrations, down from 9.5%.
‘In May 2026 year-to-date (YTD), new EU car registrations increased by 4%, indicating a strong start to the year amid a backdrop of persistent geopolitical headwinds weighing on the outlook,’ ACEA said. Read more here.
