Share of electric cars in EU reaches new record
Preliminary figures point to 31 per cent of new cars being fully electric in August.
Fully electric cars accounted for 31 per cent of new registrations in preliminary EU figures for August. The number of battery-electric cars was therefore more than half higher than a year earlier.
The European Alternative Fuels Observatory recorded 182,548 new battery-electric cars in August. That was 50.8 per cent more than in August 2025. Their share came to 31 per cent of new registrations.
The figures are provisional and have not been updated for all countries at the same time. For thirteen EU countries, the available information ran through August; for other countries, through July. The new monthly measurement is therefore not a definitive year-to-date figure.
The development does fit a broader upward trend. According to the European industry organisation ACEA, more than 1.22 million battery-electric cars were registered in the first half of 2026. Their share was then 20.7 per cent, compared with 15.6 per cent a year earlier.
Electric cars are not the only form of electrified transport that is growing. In the first half of the year, hybrid cars accounted for 37.3 per cent of the EU market and plug-in hybrids for 9.8 per cent. Petrol and diesel cars together came to 29.7 per cent.
ACEA writes that the market continues to benefit from support measures and from a wider range of electrified models. However, the figures do not show what proportion of the growth is caused by subsidies, regulation, company cars, price reductions or model choice.
For car manufacturers, the shift means that electric models are rapidly becoming more important in the sales mix. For consumers and governments, charging infrastructure, purchase prices and the availability of affordable models remain decisive. The preliminary figures also say nothing about the second-hand market.
Fact-check Approved with corrections · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures were checked directly against EAFO and ACEA. The text limits the record claim to the provisional monthly measurement and mentions the coverage and uncertainty of the data.
- confirmed 182,548 battery-electric cars were registered in August. — This is EAFO's provisional August figure. source
- confirmed Growth compared with August 2025 was 50.8 per cent. — EAFO gives this year-on-year comparison. source
- confirmed The share of battery-electric cars was 20.7 per cent in the first half of 2026. — ACEA reports this share for January through June 2026. source
- confirmed For thirteen EU countries, the available data ran through August. — EAFO describes the different update periods for each country. source
1 correction(s) applied
- Was: Share of electric cars in EU reaches new recordNow: Share of electric cars in EU reaches new record in preliminary August figures (The sources confirm a preliminary monthly measurement, but not a definitive historical record for all EU registrations.)
Editor's note
The August figures are provisional and have uneven coverage by member state. The word record refers to the new provisional monthly measurement; a definitive historical record was not established separately.Sources
- EAFO Data Update & News Flash September 2026 — European Alternative Fuels Observatory
- New car registrations: +5.7% in H1 2026 — ACEA
More on this in Dutch media
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