Electric cars surpass combustion engines in EU sales
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In August 2026, electric cars accounted for 27.7 percent of new car registrations in the European Union, exceeding the combined total of gasoline and diesel vehicles for the first time.
The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) reported 196,486 new battery electric passenger cars were registered that month, a 62.7 percent increase compared to August 2025. Gasoline cars made up 18.9 percent of new registrations, while diesel cars accounted for 6.4 percent, totaling 25.3 percent.
Hybrid vehicles remained the largest single powertrain category with a 33.2 percent market share, but the trend shows a shift away from traditional combustion engines. Norway and Denmark led the way in electric car adoption, with battery electric models comprising approximately 98.7 percent and 85.9 percent of new car registrations respectively in August. Austria and Germany also exceeded the EU average for electric car sales.
Austria registered around 29.0 percent electric cars in August, while Germany reached 32.4 percent, representing a 75.1 percent increase over the previous year. From January to August 2026, the EU saw 1.641.333 new electric car registrations, giving them a 21.7 percent share of the market overall, while gasoline and diesel cars together held 29 percent. The average official CO₂ emissions of newly registered cars in the EU from January to August 2026 were 92 grams per kilometer.
