BERLIN, 20th April, 2026 (WAM) — Sales of fully electric cars in Europe’s main auto markets jumped by almost a third in the first quarter of 2026, as drivers looked for alternatives to combustion engines after the war in Iran caused the highest spike in petrol prices in years.
New battery-electric vehicle (BEV) registrations, a proxy for sales, rose 29.4% from a year ago to almost 560,000 in the quarter and were up 51.3% at over 240,000 in March alone in 15 European markets, data collected by trade association E-Mobility Europe and research firm New Automotive showed on Monday.
The region’s five largest EV markets – Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Poland – have recorded growth of more than 40% in BEV sales so far this year, it said. It estimated that 21.2% of all new cars registered in the EU and European Free Trade Association, in March were electric.
