Volkswagen Group: Electric vehicle deliveries declining, but Europe showing growth
Image: VW
Volkswagen Group delivered 6.01 million vehicles worldwide in the first nine months of 2026, which is 9 percent less than the 6.60 million units delivered in the same period last year. While deliveries outside China remained relatively stable overall, the group saw significant declines, especially in the People’s Republic of China. Gains in Europe and South America were not enough to offset the losses in China and North America.
In Europe, deliveries increased by 1.7 percent to 2,956,000 vehicles. Western Europe saw a 1.1 percent rise, while Central and Eastern Europe experienced a 5.3 percent increase. In Germany, 0.9 percent more vehicles were delivered to customers compared to the previous year’s period.
In North America, deliveries dropped by 4 percent to 680,200 vehicles, with the decline in the U.S. reaching 7.8 percent. The market conditions in the United States were influenced by tariff situations and changes in regulations. In contrast, South America saw growth of 4.3 percent to 502,500 vehicles, with Brazil posting an increase of 12.3 percent.
In the Asia-Pacific region, deliveries fell by 27.9 percent to 1,591,300 vehicles. The decline was particularly sharp in China at 30.2 percent, where the overall market downturn affected sales of internal combustion engine vehicles especially. Meanwhile, deliveries of electrified vehicles in China rose by about 30 percent in the third quarter compared to the previous year, with plug-in hybrids and range-extender models being particularly in demand.
By the end of September, Volkswagen had delivered 678,700 all-electric vehicles worldwide, five percent less than the 717,700 units delivered in the same period last year. In contrast, global deliveries of plug-in hybrids and vehicles with range extenders rose by about 23 percent to 368,000 units. In Europe, the growth rate for all-electric vehicles accelerated to 20 percent in the third quarter, with their share of total deliveries rising from 18 percent to 20 percent after nine months. In the United States, deliveries of all-electric vehicles dropped by 78 percent following the end of government subsidies and amid ongoing high pressures from import tariffs.
Europe’s electric vehicle order backlog doubles
The European order backlog for all-electric vehicles has doubled since the end of 2025, now accounting for around 40 percent of the total order backlog. In the third quarter, European orders for all-electric vehicles rose by more than 60 percent compared to the same period last year, while the new “Electric Urban Car Family” featuring the VW ID. Polo, ID. Cross, Škoda Epiq, and Cupra Raval received nearly 150,000 orders.
"In our home market, we are seeing a significantly accelerated trend toward fully electric vehicles. The main reasons for this are the currently high fuel prices and a wider range of entry-level models. This includes our Electric Urban Car Family, which has received nearly 150,000 orders shortly after its launch. It’s a tremendous success that shows we have perfectly captured the zeitgeist with these four vehicles," said Martin Sander, member of the Executive Board for Sales at the company.
"Overall, one in five of our models delivered in Europe are fully electric, with this proportion reaching around 40 percent in the order backlog. The significantly declining overall market in China remains a challenge for the entire industry. At the same time, our new locally developed electric models are starting to show their impact. Compared to the previous quarter, we were able to deliver about 30 percent more electric vehicles to our customers in China during Q3. Globally, our deliveries after three quarters are about nine percent lower than in the same period last year."
VW Group’s Best-Selling Electric Vehicles
Škoda Elroq: 92,200
VW ID.4/ID.5: 81,900
Škoda Enyaq (including Coupé): 72,700
VW ID.3: 61,100
Audi Q6 e-tron (SUV/Sportback): 50,400
VW ID.7 (including Tourer): 47,500
Audi Q4 e-tron (SUV/Sportback): 47,000
VW ID. Buzz (including Cargo): 42,000
Cupra Born: 29,000
Audi A6 e-tron (Avant/Sportback): 27,600
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About the author
Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with professional experience in the automotive and financial industries. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.
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