EU passenger car registrations jumped 12.5% year-on-year in March 2026 to 1.2 million units, the highest level in more than six years. This marked a sharp acceleration from the 1.4% growth recorded in February, supported by new and revised tax breaks and incentive schemes introduced across major European markets.
All four of the bloc’s largest markets posted gains: Germany (+16.0%), Spain (+11.7%), Italy (+7.6%), and France (+12.9%). Over the first quarter, new car registrations in the EU increased by 4%, largely underpinned by March’s strong result.
The battery-electric vehicle (BEV) segment continued to strengthen, with its market share rising to 19.4% year-to-date, up from 15.2% a year earlier. In March alone, BEV registrations surged 48.9% year-on-year to 234,532 units, driven by robust growth in Italy (+72.1%), France (+68.8%), Germany (+66.2%), and Denmark (+48.4%).
For comparison, total EU car registrations in the previous year were up 1.8% versus 2024.
