Nearly 4 out of every 10 new cars in Spain are already electric or plug-in hybrids, and Faconauto points out a key reason.
08/10/2026 16:00
Updated to
08/10/2026 16:00
The electrification of Spain’s market made another significant advance in September. The latest daily registration data compiled by Faconauto show days when pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids accounted for nearly 40% of all registered cars.
The most recent figure from the dealership association shows a daily share of 38.4% for these vehicles, while since the launch of the new subsidy platform, the average has reached 31.8%. Before that time, the average penetration rate was 25.7%.
The difference represents an increase of over six percentage points in the average share and provides a glimpse into how demand for electric vehicles is evolving. For Faconauto, the implementation of the Plan Auto+ management system is having a noticeable impact on vehicle registrations.
Between September 1 and 16, 6,409 pure electric passenger cars and 4,676 plug-in hybrids were registered in Spain. In total, 11,085 vehicles of these two technologies were registered out of 30,829 passenger car registrations during the same period. This gives their combined penetration rate around 36% in the first half of the month. Additionally, Faconauto notes that this share exceeded 35% on several days in September and approached 40% on some of them.
Faconauto highlights the impact of subsidies
According to Faconauto, Spain is experiencing a clear acceleration in electrification. The industry group attributes part of the surge observed in September to the launch of the subsidy management system, which reportedly provided new momentum for registrations of these vehicles.
"We are seeing a clear acceleration in electrification in the Spanish market," says Faconauto. The organization notes that pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles accounted for around 36% of new car registrations during the first two weeks of September.
However, subsidies are not the only factor driving this trend. The available options are much greater than they were a few years ago, with more models and technologies available, and increased competition has significantly expanded the price range for buyers.
This is enabling electric vehicles to reach household budgets that previously found it more difficult to access this technology. Nevertheless, Faconauto believes that economic incentives still play a decisive role in maintaining the current rate of growth.
The industry association states that without the direct subsidies from Plan Auto+ and without the 15% reduction on income tax, the figures would be “much more modest.” For this reason, it argues that incentives remain necessary to continue expanding the adoption of electric vehicles.
The next challenge will be maintaining growth
The challenge now is to ensure this increase isn’t temporary. Faconauto calls for continuity in both direct subsidies and tax incentives, emphasizing the need to explore new measures targeted at businesses.
It also proposes actions beyond purchase subsidies. These include improving signage for charging stations on roads, simplifying their use, and working toward more uniform standards for regulated parking across different Spanish municipalities.
According to the industry associations, the goal is to give drivers sufficient confidence and a stable outlook before they decide to switch cars. September figures show that when broader availability and financial incentives coincide, the adoption of plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles can grow rapidly.
Faconauto adds another factor to the discussion: the high age of Spain’s vehicle fleet. The organization believes that promoting fleet renewal also indirectly supports electrification, even when subsidy programs are not limited to a single technology.
In fact, industry associations claim that the autonomous communities that have implemented renewal programs based on technological neutrality have ended up recording electric vehicle sales higher than the national average. For Faconauto, a healthy automobile market also facilitates the adoption of new technologies.