2026 (June & First Half): new passenger vehicle registrations in Europe (EU, EFTA, UK) increased, with car sales up 13.1% for the month and 6.1% for the half-year.
New car sales in Europe, including the European Union, EFTA countries, and the UK, increased in almost all countries, with the total market expanding by 6.1% during the first half of 2026. In June, the expansion was even stronger, with sales up 13.1%. All-electric car sales increased by a third to give battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) a 22% share of the total European new car market so far in 2026. Volkswagen remained the top-selling car brand in Europe.
Latest European Car Market Statistics: 2026: January, February (electric), Q1 (electric), April, May; 2025 (Full Year): Market Overview, Sales by Country, Electric, Brands, Models.
European New Car Market in 2026
New passenger vehicle registrations in the European Union (EU) increased by 5.7% to 5,896,683 cars in the first half of 2026. The EU market expanded by 13.6% to 1,147,962 cars in June 2026 — the fifth consecutive month of year-on-year increases.
In the larger European region, including the EU, EFTA, and the UK, new passenger vehicle registrations increased by a faster 6.1% to 7,232,066 cars in the first half of the year. In June 2026, the larger European new car market grew by 13.1%. This came against a backdrop of persistent geopolitical headwinds weighing on the outlook.
Car Sales by Power Source in Europe 2026
Battery-electric car sales in the EU increased by 40.5% for a market share of 20.7% in the first half of 2026. BEV sales in Europe (EU, EFTA, UK) increased by 35.1% for a 22.2% share of the total new car market.
In June 2026, BEV sales in the EU increased by 60.7% for a 23.6% market share, while BEV sales in the larger European region increased by 51% to account for 25.6% of all new cars sold.
→ See 2026 (June & First Half) Europe: Battery-Electric Car Sales by European Country for more details on BEV sales.
Car Sales Per European Country in 2026 (June & Half Year)
New passenger vehicle registrations and electric car sales in Europe (EU, EFTA, and UK) in June and the first half of 2026 were as follows, according to the ACEA:
| Country | June 2026 | June 2025 | 2026 (HY) | 2025 (HY) | %Δ HY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 34,256 | 27,868 | 164,529 | 143,051 | 15 |
| Belgium | 45,449 | 41,527 | 230,681 | 234,616 | -1.7 |
| Bulgaria | 5,457 | 4,601 | 25,957 | 24,064 | 7.9 |
| Croatia | 9,016 | 8,945 | 44,164 | 41,951 | 5.3 |
| Cyprus | 1,133 | 1,347 | 7,244 | 8,221 | -11.9 |
| Czechia | 26,398 | 22,208 | 129,808 | 122,639 | 5.8 |
| Denmark | 21,486 | 19,039 | 101,035 | 89,522 | 12.9 |
| Estonia | 1,932 | 1,549 | 9,979 | 6,156 | 62.1 |
| Finland | 7,564 | 7,452 | 37,257 | 37,263 | 0 |
| France | 188,787 | 169,506 | 857,165 | 842,206 | 1.8 |
| Germany | 296,378 | 256,193 | 1,484,393 | 1,402,789 | 5.8 |
| Greece | 18,668 | 14,647 | 83,965 | 78,162 | 7.4 |
| Hungary | 15,096 | 11,518 | 74,905 | 66,112 | 13.3 |
| Ireland | 2,187 | 2,436 | 85,188 | 81,749 | 4.2 |
| Italy | 146,351 | 132,371 | 936,045 | 854,624 | 9.5 |
| Latvia | 2,389 | 2,244 | 11,346 | 11,287 | 0.5 |
| Lithuania | 5,016 | 3,723 | 24,119 | 20,791 | 16 |
| Luxembourg | 5,109 | 4,166 | 26,509 | 25,256 | 5 |
| Malta | 619 | 508 | 3,839 | 2,949 | 30.2 |
| Netherlands | 39,015 | 34,405 | 174,789 | 182,375 | -4.2 |
| Poland | 58,979 | 49,586 | 312,033 | 285,310 | 9.4 |
| Portugal | 26,349 | 23,184 | 137,080 | 124,026 | 10.5 |
| Romania | 16,120 | 10,611 | 64,850 | 64,820 | 0 |
| Slovakia | 9,339 | 8,800 | 43,504 | 45,150 | -3.6 |
| Slovenia | 6,684 | 5,151 | 36,737 | 30,133 | 21.9 |
| Spain | 128,426 | 119,145 | 647,711 | 609,914 | 6.2 |
| Sweden | 29,759 | 27,565 | 141,851 | 140,976 | 0.6 |
| EUROPEAN UNION | 1,147,962 | 1,010,295 | 5,896,683 | 5,576,112 | 5.7 |
| Iceland | 1,439 | 2,029 | 7,502 | 7,882 | -4.8 |
| Norway | 19,558 | 18,374 | 73,404 | 76,076 | -3.5 |
| Switzerland | 25,207 | 21,810 | 116,548 | 113,133 | 3 |
| EFTA | 46,204 | 42,213 | 197,454 | 197,091 | 0.2 |
| United Kingdom | 213,166 | 191,316 | 1,137,929 | 1,042,229 | 9.2 |
| EU + EFTA + UK | 1,407,332 | 1,243,824 | 7,232,066 | 6,815,432 | 6.1 |
| Source: ACEA |
Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Spain remained the largest new car markets in Europe. All five experienced growth during the first half of the year, with the British and Italian car markets growing by over 9% and the French market remaining sluggish with a more moderate 1.8% expansion, but electric car sales increased by almost two-thirds.
→ See 2026 (June & First Half) Europe: Battery-Electric Car Sales by European Country for more details on BEV sales.