New EU car registrations rose by 5.7% year-to-date, with a strong performance in June contributing to a positive first half of 2026. This came against a backdrop of persistent geopolitical headwinds weighing on the outlook.
The market continued to benefit from robust consumer demand for a range of electrified technologies, driven primarily by market support measures. Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the most popular powertrain choice among buyers, while battery-electric cars reached 20.7%. In addition, plug-in hybrids captured 9.8% of the EU market.
New EU car registrations by power source
Up until June 2026, battery-electric cars held a 20.7% share of the EU market, up from 15.6% a year earlier. Hybrid-electric car registrations captured 37.3% of the market, remaining the preferred choice among consumers in the EU. At the same time, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 29.7%, compared with 37.8% a year earlier. (....)