New car sales across Europe rose 10.2% in September from a year earlier to about 1.36 million, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) released on Thursday, 22 October 2026. Electric cars led the way, while petrol and diesel sales continued to slide.
September at a glance
| Powertrain (Europe, September) | Change |
|---|---|
| Battery-electric (BEV) | Up nearly 60% |
| Plug-in hybrid | Up 24% |
| Hybrid | Up 5.3% |
| Petrol | Down 20.6% |
| Diesel | Down 28% |
Figures cover the EU, EFTA countries and the UK, as reported by Investing.com. In the EU alone, registrations rose about 9.3%.
The year so far (EU)
EU registrations are up 5.7% from January to September. Hybrids hold 36.3% of the market, battery-electric cars 22.7% (up from 16.1% a year earlier) and petrol cars just 21.2% (down from 27.7%), according to ACEA. Electric car sales are up 58.1% in Germany and 79.1% in France, where petrol sales have fallen 36.1%.
"Demand for a range of electrified vehicles remained strong," ACEA said.
Winners and losers
| Brand (Europe, September) | Registrations | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla | 68,776 | +72.5% |
| BYD | 49,953 | About +99% |
| Chery group | 52,801 | +185.8% |
| Leapmotor | 14,594 | +323.9% |
| Mercedes-Benz | — | +5.8% |
| Stellantis | — | +4.5% |
| Volkswagen Group | — | −2.9% |
Sources: Anadolu Agency, Investing.com and ChinaEVHome. Tesla took about 5% of the market. BYD is ahead of Tesla for the year to date, with 283,997 registrations against 260,575, according to Anadolu.
Chinese brands keep growing
The rapid growth of Chinese carmakers such as BYD, Chery and Leapmotor is reshaping Europe's market. Leapmotor began building its B10 model in Zaragoza, Spain, on 16 October, part of a wider push by Chinese brands to manufacture inside Europe and avoid tariffs. Read more about EU car rules in our report on the France–Germany deal on the 2035 CO₂ target.
