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. source: European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA)

Car Registrations in European Union increased to 1158316 Units in March from 865437 Units in February of 2026. Car Registrations in European Union averaged 1090357.01 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 May of 2026.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-03-24 05:00 AM
New Car Registrations YoY
Feb 1.4% -3.9% -6.0%
2026-04-23 04:00 AM
New Car Registrations YoY
Mar 12.5% 1.4% 5.5%
2026-05-27 04:00 AM
New Car Registrations YoY
Apr 12.5% 6.6%



Components Last Previous Unit Reference
Car Registrations - Germany 249163.00 294161.00 Units Apr 2026
Electric Car Registrations 234532.00 158280.00 Units Mar 2026

Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Bankruptcies QoQ 2.50 3.60 percent Dec 2025
Business Confidence -7.50 -7.40 points Apr 2026
Capacity Utilization 77.80 77.90 percent Mar 2026
New Car Registrations YoY 1158316.00 865437.00 Units Mar 2026
Changes in Inventories 29.80 40.93 EUR Billion Dec 2025
Industrial Production -0.10 -0.20 percent Feb 2026
Industrial Production Mom 0.40 -0.90 percent Feb 2026
Manufacturing Production -0.30 -1.20 percent Feb 2026
Mining Production 3.00 -1.20 percent Feb 2026
Steel Production 11400.00 9800.00 Thousand Tonnes Mar 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
1158316.00 865437.00 1890664.00 270682.00 2003 - 2026 Units Monthly
NSA

News Stream
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
EU Car Registrations Rise in February
EU passenger car registrations rose 1.4% year-on-year to 865,437 units in February 2026, rebounding from a 3.9% decline in the previous month, supported by growth across most of the bloc’s four largest markets, including Germany (3.8%), Spain (7.5%), and Italy (14.0%). In contrast, France recorded a sharp drop (-14.7%). In the first two months of the year, new EU car registrations edged down 1.2%. Meanwhile, the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) segment continued to gain traction, with its market share rising to 18.8% year-to-date from 15.2% a year earlier. In February alone, BEV registrations jumped 20.6% year-on-year to 158,280 units, driven by strong growth in Germany (28.7%), France (27.8%), Denmark (26.1%), and Italy (81.3%). Last year, total EU car registrations increased 1.8% compared with 2024.
2026-03-24
EU Car Registrations Fall for First Time in 7 Months
EU passenger car registrations dropped 3.9% yoy to a five-month low of 799,625 units in January 2026, reversing a 5.8% rise in the previous month and marking the first contraction since June. The bloc’s four largest markets all posted declines: Germany (-6.6%), France (-6.6%), Spain (-33.8%), and Italy (-16.2%), highlighting broad-based weakness at the start of the year.However, battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations jumped 24.2% from a year earlier. Growth was driven by strong gains in Germany (23.8%), France (52.1%), Denmark (52.7%), and Italy (40.7%). About 154,230 new BEVs were registered, accounting for 19.3% of the total EU market share, up from 14.9% a year ago. In 2025, overall EU car registrations rose 1.8% compared with 2024.
2026-02-24