Economy
market on the rise •
Cars: new car registrations in Europe are on the rise again
Sales of electric and hybrid vehicles are rising, at the expense of petrol and diesel cars. Chinese brands are driving market growth
Photo: LaPresse
The first half of 2026 was a positive period for the automotive sector in Europe. According to figures published today by ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, car registrations since the start of the year in Western Europe (the EU, EFTA and the UK) totalled 7,232,066, an increase of 6.1 per cent compared with the first half of last year. June’s figures were particularly strong, with 1,407,332 registrations, 13.1 per cent more than in June 2025. ACEA also emphasised in a statement that “this result was achieved against a backdrop of persistent geopolitical headwinds that are weighing on the outlook”.
The increase in market volume is evident across several areas. The growth in electric cars is particularly striking (20.7 per cent in the first half of the year, up from 15.6 per cent a year ago) as is that of plug-in hybrids (9.8 per cent of the EU market, up from 8.5 per cent). The growth in plug-in hybrids has been particularly marked in Italy (+84.3 per cent). At the same time, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars has fallen to 29.7 per cent from 37.8 per cent the previous year.
The market’s growth is being driven primarily by Chinese brands: BYD recorded a 145.5 per cent increase with 174,000 registrations in the first half of the year, overtaking the US-based Tesla which, despite a 54 per cent rise in sales, registered just over 170,000 cars. The sharpest rise, however, was recorded by Leapmotor, up 558 per cent with 56,000 new cars, whilst Chery (which operates under the Jaecoo, Jetour and Omoda brands) saw a 305 per cent increase, exceeding 155,000 registrations. For SAIC Motor, the increase was 18 per cent, with 180,000 new cars on the road.
Among European manufacturers, the Volkswagen Group remains the leader in registrations with 345,937 units in June (+6.4 per cent) and 1,848,988 in the first half of the year (+2.1 per cent). Its market share, however, fell both for the last month (24.6 per cent, down from 26.1 per cent in June 2025) and for the first half of the year (25.6 per cent, down from 26.6 per cent). Stellantis performed well, selling 191,012 cars in June, 5.3 per cent more than in the same month of 2025. Over the six-month period, registrations totalled 1,096,783, representing an increase of 5.3 per cent and a market share of 15.2 per cent (compared with 15.3 per cent in 2025), which, however, rises to 16 per cent when Leapmotor is included.