EuroWire, BRUSSELS: EV sales across Europe’s main auto markets rose sharply in the first quarter of 2026 as higher pump prices pushed more buyers away from petrol and diesel models. New battery-electric registrations climbed 29.4% from a year earlier to nearly 560,000 vehicles across 15 European markets, while March alone delivered more than 240,000 registrations, up 51.3%. The figures marked one of the region’s strongest early-year gains for fully electric cars and underscored a faster shift in consumer demand during a period of elevated fuel costs.
The 15 markets tracked in the quarter accounted for 94% of all battery-electric sales last year across the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, giving the data broad regional weight. March was especially strong, with electric cars estimated to have made up 21.2% of all new car registrations across the EU and EFTA. The jump followed a sharp rise in petrol prices after supply disruptions in global oil routes lifted fuel costs across Europe during March and early April.
Official European Union registration data also showed the shift was already building before the March surge. According to ACEA, battery-electric cars captured 18.8% of the EU new car market in January and February, up from 15.2% a year earlier, with 312,369 units registered. Over the same period, the combined share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 30.6% from 38.7%. The European Commission’s weekly fuel bulletin also showed higher prices for both Euro-super 95 petrol and diesel at the end of March.
EV sales for March accelerate across core markets
Growth was strongest in several of Europe’s largest and most influential car markets. Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Poland each recorded battery-electric growth of more than 40% in the first quarter, showing that the increase was not confined to smaller markets. Preliminary figures published by the European Alternative Fuels Observatory showed Italy up about 66%, France up 51%, Germany up more than 40%, and Spain up about 42%. In Britain, battery-electric registrations rose 12.8% in the quarter and accounted for 22.5% of new car sales.
Separate March figures pointed to a broader peak in electric vehicle demand across the region. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence said Europe recorded a monthly all-time high of almost 540,000 electric vehicle registrations in March, up 37% from a year earlier, including battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models. That made March the first month of global EV sales growth this year. The data also showed Europe outperforming other major regions, with stronger momentum than North America and a more stable trend than China during the same month.
Fuel price shock reshapes buying patterns
Fuel costs moved sharply higher during the period covered by the sales data. European Commission figures showed the average price of Euro-super 95 petrol in the EU at €1.871 per litre on March 30, while diesel stood at €2.076 per litre. Earlier March data had already shown the average EU petrol price rising 12% between February 23 and March 16 to €1.84 per litre. Several governments responded with temporary relief measures, including tax cuts and other price interventions aimed at easing costs for motorists and businesses.
The move toward electric vehicles was also visible beyond the new-car market. Used-EV platforms in several European countries reported higher searches and faster sales in March as running costs for combustion-engine vehicles climbed. That added to evidence that the early 2026 increase in electric vehicle demand was broad based, spanning both new and second-hand markets. With battery-electric registrations rising while petrol and diesel market share continued to fall, the first quarter set a clear marker for Europe’s auto market in 2026.