Europe’s car market is changing faster than headline sales figures alone suggest. During the first half of 2026, battery-electric vehicles accounted for 22% of all new registrations, up five percentage points from the same period a year earlier.

At the same time, traditional petrol and diesel cars continued to lose ground, while charging infrastructure expanded and several major manufacturers increased the electric share of their sales.

The result is a market in transition, where the biggest question is no longer whether electrification is happening, but how quickly individual countries and manufacturers can keep pace.

Electric Cars Reach 22%

Battery-electric registrations increased by about 35% across Europe between January and June 2026. Their market share reached 22% for the six-month period and climbed to 24% in June alone.

Plug-in hybrids also gained slightly, rising to a 10% share. Conventional combustion-engine cars moved in the opposite direction. Their share fell eight percentage points compared with the first half of 2025, leaving them with only 30% of new registrations.

Hybrid technologies continued to grow as well. Mild hybrids reached a 25% share, while full hybrids increased to 14%.

Germany and France Accelerate

Europe’s largest national markets are becoming increasingly important to the electric transition. Battery-electric cars represented 26% of new registrations in Germany during the first half of 2026, an increase of eight percentage points from a year earlier.

France reached an even higher 28%, up ten percentage points. Italy and Spain continued to lag behind, although both improved. Electric cars accounted for 8% of registrations in Italy and 10% in Spain.

The contrast shows how uneven Europe’s transition remains. Northern and western markets are moving much faster than several southern countries, reflecting differences in incentives, charging availability, taxation, company-car policies and consumer demand.

Nordic Markets Stay Ahead

Norway remained in a category of its own. Battery-electric vehicles represented 98% of new registrations there during the first half of 2026.

Denmark followed with an 80% share, while Finland reached 49%, Iceland 43% and Sweden 42%.

The Netherlands stood at 37% and Belgium at 36%. Denmark also recorded the strongest increase in electric market share among major European markets, gaining 16 percentage points in a single year. These figures demonstrate that high electric adoption is possible when charging infrastructure, taxation and vehicle supply develop together.

Manufacturers Face CO2 Pressure

Electrification is not only being driven by consumer demand. European manufacturers are also operating under increasingly strict fleet CO2 requirements. Average manufacturer emissions stood at around 94 g CO2/km during the first half of 2026. When the wider reporting period from January 2025 to June 2026 is considered, adjusted emissions averaged about 95 g CO2/km. That left manufacturers collectively less than 2 g CO2/km above the average target of 93 g CO2/km for the 2025–2027 compliance period.

Industry analysts note that increasing battery-electric sales remains one of the most effective ways for manufacturers to reduce fleet-average emissions and avoid future penalties. Some groups were already comfortably ahead of their targets, while others remained under pressure.

BMW Leads Major Carmakers

Among Europe’s seven largest automotive groups, BMW recorded the highest battery-electric share during the first half of 2026 at 28%. Mercedes-Benz increased its electric share by eight percentage points compared with the same period in 2025. Hyundai, Renault and Toyota each gained six percentage points.

Toyota’s shift was particularly notable: its BEV share more than doubled from 4% to 10%. Volkswagen, meanwhile, increased the share of plug-in hybrids within its registrations, but its manufacturer pool remained furthest from its CO2 target among the largest groups.

This illustrates how different companies are using different strategies to meet the same regulatory challenge.

Charging Network Keeps Expanding

Europe’s public charging infrastructure is also growing. Around 1.20 million public charging points had been installed by the end of June 2026, compared with about 1.04 million a year earlier.

AC charging points increased 12%, while DC fast chargers expanded much faster, rising 29%. The average power of public chargers has also improved significantly. It doubled from 25 kW in early 2021 to 51 kW by June 2026.

Belgium recorded especially strong growth, with DC charging points increasing 38% year on year. Italy followed at 37%, while Denmark grew 35%.Norway continued to lead in charging power, with an average output of 107 kW.

Infrastructure Still Uneven

Despite rapid expansion, major differences remain between countries.

Denmark had about 47 standardised public charging points per thousand cars and vans, followed by Norway with 41 and Sweden with 32.

Belgium reached 24.

Italy and Spain, however, remained well below the European average, with only four each.

This gap matters because vehicle adoption and infrastructure development often reinforce one another.

Where charging is easy and visible, buyers are more willing to consider electric cars. Where coverage remains limited, adoption can slow even if suitable vehicles are available.

A Market Moving Faster

The first half of 2026 shows Europe moving deeper into the electric transition.

Battery-electric cars now account for more than one in five new registrations, charging infrastructure is expanding quickly, and major manufacturers are increasing electric sales to meet both market demand and emissions targets.