New car registrations in the European Union declined by 3.9% in January 2026 compared with the same month last year, signalling a slower start to the year for the automotive market. Despite the overall contraction, electrified vehicles continued to strengthen their position across the region.
Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 19.3% of total EU registrations in January, up from 14.9% a year earlier. A total of 154,230 new electric cars were registered during the month. Growth was driven by strong performances in France (+52.1%) and Germany (+23.8%), although Belgium (-11.5%) and the Netherlands (-35.4%) recorded declines.
Hybrid-electric vehicles remained the most popular powertrain choice, capturing 38.6% of the market with 308,364 units registered. Demand increased notably in Italy (+24.9%) and Spain (+9%), while registrations were stable in France and slightly down in Germany (-1.8%).
Plug-in hybrid vehicles also posted robust growth, with registrations rising to 78,741 units. As a result, their market share climbed to 9.8%, up from 7.4% in January 2025. Italy (+134.2%), Spain (+66.7%), and Germany (+23%) were key contributors to this expansion.
In contrast, traditional combustion engine vehicles continued to lose ground. Petrol car registrations fell by 28.2%, with steep declines across all major markets, particularly France (-48.9%). Petrol models represented 22% of the market, down from 29.5% a year earlier. Diesel registrations dropped 22.3%, accounting for just 8.1% of new cars sold.
Overall, electrified powertrains — including battery-electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid vehicles — now represent more than two-thirds of new car registrations in the EU, underlining the region’s accelerating shift toward lower-emission mobility despite weaker overall demand.
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