Electric cars accounted for nearly 30% of the European market share last August.

According to the latest report from ACEA (European Association of Automobile Manufacturers), last August battery electric vehicles (BEVs) held a 27.7% market share in the European Union, second only to hybrids (HEVs), which reached 33.2%. Behind them were gasoline vehicles (18.9%), plug-in hybrids or PHEVs (11.1%), and diesel vehicles (6.4%). As can be seen, plug-in vehicles (BEVs+PHEVs) already account for two out of every five new cars delivered in the old continent.

The percentage of electric vehicle sales is even higher when looking at figures for the entire European market, which includes the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the European Free Trade Association (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland). In this case, electric vehicles accounted for 29.2%, dangerously close to the 32.8% share held by hybrids. Gasoline vehicles made up 18.5%, plug-in hybrids 11.3%, and diesel vehicles 5.8%.

From January to August, new car sales in the European Union increased by 5.3% despite rising fuel prices, a growth driven precisely by electric vehicles. With a 21.7% share for the whole of 2026, BEVs have managed to match gasoline vehicles, which also hold exactly the same percentage.

HEVs still account for 36.6% of market share in terms of leadership, though their dominance has been weakening over the months. The arrival of new models such as the Skoda Epiq and Volkswagen ID. Polo, which are performing very well commercially, is likely to further boost electric vehicles. Plug-in hybrids, on the other hand, hold a 10% share for the entire year of 2026, surpassing diesel vehicles at 7.3%.

Over the course of the entire year, electric vehicles have matched gasoline-powered models in market share.

It is interesting to note that at this time last year, electric vehicles accounted for 15.8% of the market, so the growth they have experienced is quite significant. In contrast, the combined share of gasoline and diesel models dropped from 37.5% in 2025 to 29% in 2026.

In the first eight months of the year, 1,641,333 electric cars were registered in the European Union. In countries such as France (+74.2%), Germany (+53.1%), and Denmark (+40.9%), sales of electric vehicles rose sharply. Another notable market is Belgium, although its growth was slower (+13.1%). In Spain, hybrid vehicles surged by 21% at the expense of gasoline models (-18.5%).

"New car registrations in the EU increased by 5.3% so far this year, amid rising energy prices and persistent geopolitical uncertainty. Demand for a wide range of electrified vehicles remained strong, driven by market support measures and an expanding lineup of models," ACEA states in its press release.