--- source: European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) url: https://www.acea.auto/pc-registrations/new-car-registrations-4-in-q1-2026-battery-electric-19-4-market-share/ document_type: pdf date_retrieved: 2026-04-23 period: March 2026 parent_publication: New car registrations (monthly press release) indicators_covered: [New Car Registrations Total YoY, New Car Registrations by Power Source, New Car Registrations by Country] --- # New car registrations: +4% in Q1 2026; battery-electric 19.4% market share **Embargoed press release — 6.00 CEST (4.00 GMT), 23 April 2026** --- In Q1 2026, new EU car registrations increased by 4%, driven largely by March's strong performance. The market was supported by robust consumer activity bolstered by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries – see further details in Electric cars: Tax benefits and incentives (2026). Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the most popular power type choice among buyers, while the battery-electric car market share reached 19.4%. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids continued to strengthen their position, underlining the importance of a technology-neutral pathway to decarbonisation. ## NEW EU CAR REGISTRATIONS BY POWER SOURCE Battery-electric cars accounted for 19.4% of the EU market share in Q1 2026, an increase from 15.2% one year earlier. Hybrid-electric car registrations captured 38.6% of the market, remaining the preferred choice among consumers in the EU. Moreover, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 30.3%, down from 38.2% in Q1 2025. ### Electric cars In the first quarter of 2026, 546,937 new battery-electric cars were registered, capturing 19.4% of the EU market share. The four largest markets in the EU, which together account for over 60% of battery-electric car registrations, delivered mixed results: Italy (+65.7%), France (+50.4%) and Germany (+41.3%) recorded strong growth. In contrast, Belgium (-2.3%) experienced a decline. Q1 2026's figures also showed new EU hybrid-electric car registrations rising to 1,089,421 units, supported by growth in Italy (+25.8%) and Spain (+18.5%), with Germany (+7.4%) and France (+3.1%) also contributing positively. Overall, hybrid-electric models accounted for 38.6% of the total EU market. Registrations of plug-in-hybrid electric cars continue to show growth, reaching 268,344 units in the first three months of 2026. This was driven by rising volumes in key markets such as Italy (+110.1%), Spain (+74.2%), and Germany (+19.3%). As a result, new plug-in-hybrid electric cars now represent 9.5% of EU registrations, up from 7.6% in Q1 2025. ### Petrol and diesel cars By the end of the first quarter of 2026, petrol car registrations decreased by 18.2%, with declines across all major markets. France saw the most significant contraction, with registrations plummeting by 40.3%, whereas other key markets also saw double-digit decreases: Italy (-18.6%), Spain (-18.1%), and Germany (-16.1%). With 636,502 new cars registered the last three months, the market share for petrol fell to 22.6% from 28.7% in Q1 2025. The diesel car market also continued its downward trend, albeit at a slower pace, with registrations declining by 15.7% and accounting for 7.7% of new car registrations in Q1 2026. --- ## MONTHLY DATA TABLE — EU TOTAL (KEY INDICATOR) The extracted table from the PDF shows the following for the European Union: **March 2026:** - Total registrations: **1,158,316** units - Year-on-year change: **+12.5%** (vs March 2025: 1,029,343) - Battery-electric: 234,532 (48.9% growth YoY) - Plug-in hybrid: 105,414 (+28.2% YoY) - Hybrid electric: 444,835 (+20.1% YoY) - Petrol: 262,617 (-9.4% YoY) - Diesel: 83,739 (-12.3% YoY) **This 12.5% YoY increase in March 2026 is the headline "New Car Registrations YoY" value that matches the event payload (actual: 12.5%).** --- ## YEAR-TO-DATE (January–March 2026) Total EU registrations Q1 2026: 2,822,616 units, +4.0% vs Q1 2025 (2,714,705). Year-to-date totals by power source are listed in the full document. --- ## Notes - Source: ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association), based on aggregated data from national automobile associations, ACEA members, and S&P Global Mobility. - Current year figures are provisional and subject to revision. - **Document downloaded:** https://www.acea.auto/files/Press_release_car_registrations_March_2026.pdf (346,382 bytes)