New passenger car sales across the European Union increased by 4 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year, supported by strong demand for electric and hybrid vehicles, industry figures showed.
Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association indicated that 2.82 million new cars were registered across the EU between January and March.
When including the broader European market covering the EU, the European Free Trade Association and the United Kingdom, total sales rose 4.1 percent to 3.52 million units.
Among major EU markets, Italy recorded the strongest growth at 9.2 percent, followed by Spain with a 7.6 percent increase.
Battery-electric vehicles were the fastest-growing segment, with registrations rising 32.5 percent year on year to 546,937 units, representing 19.4 percent of total new car sales.
Italy saw the sharpest rise in electric vehicle demand at 65.7 percent, while Spain and Germany also posted significant increases of 41.6 percent and 41.3 percent respectively.
Hybrid-electric vehicles maintained the largest market share overall, accounting for 38.6 percent of total sales. Registrations in this category grew 12.8 percent to 1.08 million units.
Plug-in hybrid models also recorded strong growth, rising 29.7 percent to 268,344 units.
In contrast, traditional combustion engine vehicles continued to decline. Petrol car registrations fell 18.2 percent, reducing their market share to 22.6 percent, while diesel vehicles dropped 15.7 percent to a 7.7 percent share.
In March alone, new car sales across the region increased 12.5 percent year on year, reaching 1.15 million units.
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