Pure electric vehicles outsold petrol and diesel cars combined in the European market in August 2026, the first time they had done so. Electric vehicle sales rose 52.2% year on year that month.
Across the first eight months of 2026, fully electric sales in the EU reached 1.64 million units. Their market share rose from 15.8 percent to 21.7 percent, putting them ahead of petrol-powered cars by around 6,600 units. Petrol-car sales totalled 1.64 million units over the same period.
The shift has been powered by a combination of higher fuel costs amid high oil prices, aggressive pricing by Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers and subsidies offered across Europe. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association said: 'Despite rising energy costs and geopolitical uncertainties, demand for electrified vehicles has remained strong, supported by government purchase incentives and an expanding range of available models.'
Germany introduced a retroactive subsidy of up to 6,000 euros for electric vehicle purchases starting in 2026. The UK has offered subsidies covering up to 10% for buyers of electric vehicles priced below 37,000 pounds since July 2025.
Germany's electric vehicle share reached about one third in August 2026, up from about a fifth in 2025. The country had roughly 118,000 charging stations as of August 2026, 16 percent more than a year earlier, while electricity demand at those stations is up 66% this year over last.
Hybrids still held the largest share of the EU market, at 36.6 percent during the first eight months of 2026. Petrol and diesel cars together saw their share fall from 37.5 percent to 29 percent.
Türkiye is taking a different route. Total passenger-car sales there fell 13.8 percent year on year to 564,241 units in the first eight months of 2026. Electric vehicle sales declined 12 percent to 105,255 units, although their market share edged up from 18.3 percent to 18.7 percent.
Hybrids gained ground instead, increasing their share from 27.6 percent to 33.1 percent in the first eight months of 2026. Mild-hybrid models, which combine a conventional engine with a smaller electric system, rose from 16.1 percent to 25.7 percent of the market over the past year.
Petrol and diesel cars together fell from 53.3 percent to 46.7 percent of Türkiye's market over the first eight months of 2026. The difference in sales between petrol and hybrid vehicles narrowed from 117,000 units last year to 43,000 units in the first eight months of 2026.
The fall in Turkish electric vehicle sales was linked in part to unchanged tax assessment thresholds. That reduced the number of models qualifying for the preferential 25 percent Special Consumption Tax (ÖTV) bracket.
Comments (0)