EU passenger car registrations rose 3.2% yoy to 955,013 units in May 2026, marking the fourth straight month of growth but easing from a 5.1% gain in April. The market continued to benefit from robust consumer demand for a range of electrified technologies across key European markets, supported by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes. Among the bloc’s four largest markets, notable growth was seen in France (3.7%) and Italy (7.6%), while registrations in Germany edged up 0.1%. In January-May 2026, new EU car registrations rose 4.0%, indicating a strong start to the year despite persistent geopolitical headwinds weighing on the outlook. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 20.0% of the EU market, up from 15.3% a year earlier, highlighting continued momentum in the shift toward electrification. Three of the four largest markets, together representing 63% of total BEV registrations, posted strong growth, namely Italy (75.7%), France (55.4%), and Germany (40.9%). source: European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA)

Car Registrations in European Union decreased to 972314 Units in April from 1158316 Units in March of 2026. Car Registrations in European Union averaged 1089455.15 Units from 2003 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 1890664.00 Units in March of 2017 and a record low of 270682.00 Units in April of 2020. This page provides - European Union Car Registrations- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. European Union New Passenger Car Registration - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on July of 2026.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-05-27 04:00 AM
New Car Registrations YoY
Apr 5.1% 12.5% 6.6%
2026-06-23 04:00 AM
New Car Registrations YoY
May 3.2% 5.1% 2.8%
2026-07-23 04:00 AM
New Car Registrations YoY
Jun 3.2%



Components Last Previous Unit Reference
Car Registrations - Germany 296378.00 239448.00 Units Jun 2026
Electric Car Registrations 203417.00 200117.00 Units May 2026

Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bankruptcies QoQ 0.10 1.60 percent Mar 2026
Business Confidence -7.50 -8.10 points Jun 2026
Capacity Utilization 78.00 77.90 percent Jun 2026
New Car Registrations YoY 955013.00 972314.00 Units May 2026
Changes in Inventories 31.03 38.56 EUR Billion Mar 2026
Industrial Production 0.90 -1.60 percent Apr 2026
Industrial Production Mom 0.10 0.80 percent Apr 2026
Manufacturing Production 0.90 -1.80 percent Apr 2026
Mining Production 5.40 4.30 percent Apr 2026
Steel Production 11400.00 11000.00 Thousand Tonnes May 2026


European Union New Passenger Car Registration
The automotive industry contributes to more than 7% of the European Union's GDP and provides over 13 million jobs.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
955013.00 972314.00 1890664.00 270682.00 2003 - 2026 Units Monthly
NSA

News Stream
EU New Car Registrations Grow 3.2% in May
EU passenger car registrations rose 3.2% yoy to 955,013 units in May 2026, marking the fourth straight month of growth but easing from a 5.1% gain in April. The market continued to benefit from robust consumer demand for a range of electrified technologies across key European markets, supported by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes. Among the bloc’s four largest markets, notable growth was seen in France (3.7%) and Italy (7.6%), while registrations in Germany edged up 0.1%. In January-May 2026, new EU car registrations rose 4.0%, indicating a strong start to the year despite persistent geopolitical headwinds weighing on the outlook. Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 20.0% of the EU market, up from 15.3% a year earlier, highlighting continued momentum in the shift toward electrification. Three of the four largest markets, together representing 63% of total BEV registrations, posted strong growth, namely Italy (75.7%), France (55.4%), and Germany (40.9%).
2026-06-23
EU Car Registrations Rise 5.1% in April
EU passenger car registrations rose 5.1% year-on-year to 972,314 units in April 2026, marking the third consecutive month of growth but slowing from a 12.5% increase in March. The market continued to benefit from strong consumer demand for electrified vehicles, underpinned by new and revised tax incentives and subsidy schemes across major European countries. Among the bloc’s four largest markets, registrations increased in Germany (2.7%), Italy (11.6%), and Spain (8.4%), while France recorded a slight drop of 0.3%. In the January-April period, new EU car registrations rose 4.2%, despite persistent geopolitical tensions. Meanwhile, battery-electric vehicles accounted for 19.7% of the EU market year-to-date, up from 15.3% last year, highlighting continued momentum in the shift toward electrification. Three of the four largest markets, together representing 64% of total BEV registrations, posted strong year-to-date growth, namely Germany (41.3%), France (48.2%), and Italy (73.1%).
2026-05-27
EU Car Registrations Hit More Than 6-Year High
EU passenger car registrations surged 12.5% year-on-year to an over six-year high of 1.2 million units in March 2026, accelerating sharply from 1.4% growth in the previous month, supported by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries. Growth was seen across the bloc’s four largest markets: Germany (16.0%), France (12.9%), Spain (11.7%), and Italy (7.6%). In the first quarter of the year, new EU car registrations rose 4%, driven largely by March’s strong performance. Meanwhile, the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) segment continued to gain traction, with its market share rising to 19.4% year-to-date from 15.2% a year earlier. In March alone, BEV registrations soared 48.9% year-on-year to 234,532 units, signalling a shift away from combustion engines amid surging fuel costs. Growth was recorded in Italy (72.1%), France (68.8%), Germany (66.2%), and Denmark (48.4%). Last year, total EU car registrations rose 1.8% compared with 2024.
2026-04-23