Another month of EU new-car market growth spurred by EVs  

27 May 2026

Propelled by consumer demand, the EU’s new-car market grew again in April. Additionally, the bloc is seeing increased electric vehicle (EV) uptake, disrupting the powertrain dynamic. Autovista24 content specialist James Roberts investigates the latest data.

In April 972,314 new passenger cars took to the EU’s roads, according to the latest data from ACEA. This marked a 5.1% year-on-year improvement, and a third consecutive month of registrations growth. Overall, 17 of the 27 member states witnessed new-car market expansion.

‘The market continued to benefit from strong consumer demand for a range of electrified technologies. This was supported by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries,’ ACEA said in a statement. 

New hybrids, incorporating both full and mild hybrids, continued to be popular in April. However, EV registrations, comprising battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), also increased. Their popularity meant the plug-in market share overtook that of internal-combustion engine (ICE) cars for the first time this year.

After the first four months of 2026, a total of 3,794,280 new vehicles left EU forecourts, a 4.2% year-on-year uplift.

Growth for three big EU markets

In April, three of the EU’s biggest new-car markets enjoyed success. Germany, the bloc’s largest automotive marketplace, witnessed a modest 2.7% growth. Spain saw registrations climb by 8.4%, and Italy enjoyed a double-digit lift at 11.6%. However, France ended April in negative territory, with new-car volumes down by 0.3% year on year.

Outside of the EU’s big four, Poland continued to see robust growth. Aided by strong PHEV demand, the country saw new-car volumes increase by 10.3% overall. Similarly, Austria witnessed a 10.7% rise, maintaining its strong start to 2026.

The largest year-on-year registration growth came in Estonia. A total of 1,914 registrations gave the Baltic State a 78% volume increase. This is a significant turnaround for a nation whose market struggled in 2025.

EV demand remains vibrant in EU

April saw EV deliveries reach the second-highest monthly total so far this year. Combined BEV and PHEV registrations reached 295,682 units, up by 30% year on year.

This resulted in a monthly EV market share of 30.4%, a new high point, and an increase of 5.8 percentage points (pp) on one year prior. Spanning January to April, the plug-in sector hit a share of 29.3%, up by 6pp.

In April, BEV registrations in the EU increased by 37.7%, enabling a 20.6% market share, up 4.9pp. Of the largest markets, Italy enjoyed bumper BEV uptake in April. The country signalled a 98.8% year-on-year increase in volumes, with 13,199 new all-electric vehicles delivered. This came despite some industry concern regarding potential market fragility.

Overall, the EU’s largest markets saw continued EV uptake. Following a trailblazing 2025, Spain’s affiliation with all-electric motoring looks set to continue this year. April saw BEV registrations soar by 42.8% year on year, and PHEVs were up by 42.3%. This was despite some uncertainty over the status of new national EV incentives. Germany enjoyed a 41.3% all-electric increase in registrations. The result came as new EV incentives were formalised.

Amid overall new-car market stasis, France recorded an encouraging BEV delivery uplift in April, amounting to 41.8%. Aided by domestic options, such as the Renault 5 and Citroën e-C3, plus appealing incentives, this sector could be key to wider prosperity in 2026.

Smaller markets turning to BEVs

In total, 25 of the 27 EU member states witnessed year-on-year BEV volume improvements. Seven markets even recorded triple-digit percentage growth.

Continuing to impress, Croatia managed the largest BEV registration increase. The Balkan nation saw all-electric registrations jump by 450%, with 330 units accounted for in April. Alongside this, PHEV volumes increased by 158.5%.

Both Ireland and Hungary saw BEV registrations exceed four figures in April. This helped carve out a year-on-year boost of 105.2% and 101.7%, respectively. Slovenia also saw notable electrification, with BEV totals reaching 1,038 units in April, up 159.5% year on year.

PHEV popularity petering out?

While BEV uptake across the EU continued to plough a positive furrow, PHEV demand painted a more mixed picture. Overall, 16 EU member states saw year-on-year plug-in hybrid increases.

In total, 95,565 new PHEVs joined the EU’s car parc in April. Despite a 16.4% year-on-year registrations uplift, the powertrain’s market share reached 9.8%, up just 1pp compared with 12 months prior.

Across the first four months of the year, new PHEV deliveries increased by 26% year on year. However, the powertrain’s market share equated to just 9.6%, up 1.7pp. With BEV fortunes on the up, this trend could hint at a tipping point towards full electrification for some EU new-car buyers.

Hybrid highs hold for now

In April, a total of 359,056 new hybrid vehicles were registered in the EU, according to ACEA. This resulted in the second-highest monthly total of 2026, plus a year-on-year increase of 12%. The result helped solidify the powertrain’s place as the bloc’s most popular new-car choice.

Between January and April, hybrid power accounted for 38.2% of the market, up 2.9pp. This meant 1,447,864 units with the powertrain were delivered. Combined with new BEV and PHEV totals, new electrified passenger cars made up 67.4% of all registrations four months into the year. This was an 8.8pp surge.

Notably, the cumulative hybrid market share has decreased 0.4pp since January. While this may appear marginal, it suggests that a turn towards BEVs as a new-car option across the EU could be taking share away. Whether it is enough to satisfy wider decarbonisation targets remains to be seen.

Story of ICE decline continues

ICE registrations, comprising petrol and diesel models, once again declined in April. Overall, four nations saw year-on-year petrol registration improvements, and seven witnessed diesel demand increase.

In total, 292,467 new ICE vehicles left EU forecourts, down by 16.5% year on year. This dropped the market share to 30.1% for the month, down 7.7pp. This put ICE 0.3pp below the plug-in market share, a new development for 2026.

After four months of the year, the ICE market share sat at 30.2%. This remained 0.9pp above plug-in volumes. With robust EV registrations prevailing across the EU, how long will it be before the gap is eroded?

Amid the continued shift towards electrified powertrains, petrol appeal remains relatively solid. April saw 218,485 new cars reach EU customers. Despite a 16.3% year-on-year volume fall, the fuel type accounted for 22.5% of the overall market. This was 1.9pp ahead of BEVs.

As petrol hangs on, diesel continued to fall away in April. In total, 73,982 new vehicles were registered, equating to a year-on-year slide of 17.1% and a market share of 7.6%.

Four months into 2026, diesel captured 7.7% of the EU new-car market. Notably, despite the continued drop off in demand, it only saw a fall of 1.9pp year on year.