New car registrations: -1.2% in February 2026 year-to-date; battery-electric 18.8% market share

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.

About ACEA

• The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) represents the 17 major Europe-based car, van, truck and bus makers: BMW Group, DAF Trucks, Daimler Truck, Ferrari, Ford of Europe, Honda Motor Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Iveco Group, JLR, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Renault Group, Stellantis, Toyota Motor Europe, TRATON GROUP, Volkswagen Group, and Volvo Group.
• Visit www.acea.auto for more information about ACEA, and follow us on www.x.com/ACEA_auto or www.linkedin.com/company/ACEA/.

Contact:

• Pedro Gomes Nogueira, Automotive Intelligence Manager, [email protected], +32 (0) 2 738 73 55
• Camille Lamarque, Media Relations Manager, [email protected], +32 (0) 2 738 73 16

About the EU automobile industry

• 13.6 million Europeans work in the automotive sector
• 8.1% of all manufacturing jobs in the EU
• €414.7 billion in tax revenue for European governments
• €93.9 billion trade surplus for the European Union
• Over 8% of EU GDP generated by the auto industry
• €84.6 billion in R&D spending annually, 34% of EU total