European EV market starts 2026 with 20% BEV share

Strong growth in plug-in vehicle registrations

The European passenger plug-in vehicle market recorded approximately 298,000 registrations in January 2026, representing a 22% year-on-year increase compared with January 2025. Of these registrations, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for around 195,000 units, while plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) reached approximately 102,000 units. 

While BEV sales continued to expand (+16% year-on-year), the strongest growth came from plug-in hybrids, which increased by 33% year-on-year, reaching roughly 10% share of the overall passenger car market. This marks the strongest January growth for PHEVs since 2021. 

The broader automotive market, however, declined slightly. Overall passenger car registrations in Europe dropped by roughly 4% year-on-year, to around 800,000 units, meaning the growth of electric vehicles occurred despite weaker overall demand.

As a result, BEVs represented around 20% of all new passenger car registrations, up from 17% in January 2025, and double the market share recorded three years earlier. 

In total, 69% of all new passenger cars sold in Europe in January were electrified (including BEVs, PHEVs, and hybrid electric vehicles), compared with 59% one year earlier. 

Top selling electric models

The January 2026 model ranking shows strong diversity among manufacturers and technologies. The top three models finished extremely close to each other, separated by just over 100 units.

Top 5 plug-in models in Europe – January 2026

1. Renault 5 / Alpine A290 – 8,165 registrations
2. Škoda Elroq – 8,103 registrations
3. BYD Seal U (BEV + PHEV) – 8,063 registrations
4. Tesla Model Y – 6,941 registrations
5. BMW X1 / iX1 (PHEV + BEV) – 6,678 registrations

The Renault 5 and Alpine A290 twins started the year in first place with over 8,000 registrations. However, the competition remains intense, with the Škoda Elroq and BYD Seal U close behind.

Just outside the top five, several Volkswagen Group models dominated the following positions, including the Škoda Enyaq, Volkswagen ID.3, Volkswagen ID.7, and Volkswagen ID.4. Together with the Elroq and Audi models further down the ranking, seven Volkswagen Group vehicles appeared in the top 13 positions, highlighting the group’s strong presence in the European EV market.

Other notable developments in the model rankings include:

• The Citroën e-C3 entering the top 20, reflecting increasing availability of more affordable electric vehicles.
• The Toyota bZ4X reappearing in the rankings following its refresh.
• The Renault Scenic joining the top 20, indicating broader electrification of Renault’s lineup.

Emerging competition from new market players

The January data also highlight the increasing presence of Chinese manufacturers in the European market.

BYD, in particular, recorded strong growth, with sales rising significantly year-on-year. In the manufacturer ranking, BYD entered the top three EV brands in Europe, behind Volkswagen and BMW.

Other Chinese manufacturers are also expanding their presence. For example, the Jaecoo 7 PHEV narrowly missed entering the top 20 models, indicating growing competition in the plug-in hybrid segment.

Manufacturer and group rankings

At the brand level, Volkswagen remained the leading electric vehicle manufacturer in Europe, with a 9.7% market share, followed by:

• BMW – 7.3%
• BYD – 6.8%
• Audi – 6.4%
• Mercedes-Benz – 6.2%

At the group level, Volkswagen Group maintained a clear lead, with around 26% market share in the EV segment, reflecting strong performance across multiple brands including Volkswagen, Škoda, and Audi.

Other major groups included:

• Stellantis – approximately 10% share
• BMW Group – around 9% share
• Hyundai-Kia – about 8% share
• BYD Group – around 7% share

Outlook for 2026

The strong start to the year suggests that the 20% BEV market share recorded in January may represent a baseline for 2026, with further growth expected throughout the year.

If current trends continue, BEVs could approach 25% of new passenger car registrations in Europe by the end of 2026. Continued expansion of charging infrastructure, a growing range of electric vehicle models, and regulatory frameworks such as Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (AFIR) will play a key role in supporting this transition.

Author: Jose Pontes

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission.