Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe significantly increased during the first quarter of 2026 due to higher petrol prices driving a shift away from traditional internal combustion engine cars, as per a recent Reuters report.
Registrations of new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), a key indicator of sales, surged by 29.4 percent year-on-year to nearly 560,000 units in the quarter. In March alone, registrations soared by 51.3 percent to over 240,000 across 15 European markets, based on data from E-Mobility Europe and New Automotive as referenced in the Reuters report.
The collective registration of approximately half a million EVs during the quarter is estimated to potentially reduce oil consumption by around two million barrels annually, according to the two organizations.
The increased demand is attributed to rising fuel costs associated with the 2026 Iran conflict, propelling petrol prices to multi-year highs.
Notably, significant growth was observed in Europe’s top five electric vehicle markets – Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Poland – where BEV sales have surged by over 40 percent year-to-date. In March, electric vehicles accounted for an estimated 21.2 percent of all new vehicle sales in the EU and EFTA region.
In the United Kingdom, Europe’s second-largest EV market following Germany, registrations saw a 12.8 percent increase in the first quarter, as indicated by New Automotive data. Electric cars represented 22.5 percent of new vehicle sales during this period.
