EU car registrations down 3.9% in January

ISTANBUL

New EU car registrations fell by 3.9% year-on-year in January, marking a second consecutive challenging start to the year for the market, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) announced on Tuesday.

The battery-electric car market share reached 19.3%, up from 14.9% in January 2025, the association's data showed.

Meanwhile, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 30.1%, down from 39.5% in January 2025, it noted.

The ACEA said: "Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the most popular power type choice among buyers, with plug-in hybrids consolidating their position in the market, underlining the importance of a technology-neutral pathway to decarbonisation."

Battery-electric vehicle sales jumped by 52.1% in France, 23.8% in Germany while fell sharply by 35.4% in the Netherlands and 11.5% in Belgium.

In January 2026, 154,230 new battery-electric cars were registered, while petrol car registrations dropped by 28.2%.