Electrified cars drive Europe auto sales growth as Chinese brands gain ground
The XPENG L03 on display during the car's launch event in Munich, Germany, July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Fariha Farooqui
(Corrects 2nd bullet point to say electrified cars accounted for almost 70 per cent, not 80 per cent, of new vehicles)
July 23 : Demand for electrified cars continued to underpin growth in Europe's auto market in June, offsetting a sharp decline in petrol and diesel sales, data from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) showed on Thursday.
Growth in car registrations, a proxy for sales, also helped Chinese brands expand their footprint further across the European Union, Britain and the European Free Trade Association.
• Total car registrations rose 13.1 per cent to 1,407,332 vehicles
• Battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid car registrations climbed 51 per cent, 22.7 per cent and 17.1 per cent, respectively, together accounting for almost 70 per cent of all new vehicles
• Petrol and diesel car registrations fell 12.2 per cent and 16.9 per cent respectively
• Chinese automakers BYD, Chery and Leapmotor sold between almost three and six times more than last year, SAIC and Geely sales rose more than 50 per cent and 11 per cent respectively
• Registrations at Renault , Stellantis and Volkswagen rose between 3.6 per cent and 7.3 per cent
