The broader market also expanded: new-car registrations across the 27 EU countries increased 4.5% in August and were up 5.3% over the first eight months of 2026. EY analysts cautioned that subsidies and an extra working day in many countries helped drive the August rise, and warned that electric-car sales could weaken if support is withdrawn.
Germany recorded almost 69,000 new electric vehicles in August, followed by France with more than 36,000. At the same time, Chinese-owned groups gained share: their combined share of the EU’s total new-car market rose from 6.6% to 10.8%, while Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz together slipped from 41.3% to 39.1%.
Fuel costs added pressure on buyers. The European Commission’s weekly series reached €2.092 per litre for petrol and €2.226 for diesel in the week beginning September 21, its highest levels since the series began in 2005. Analysts cited high fuel prices and geopolitical uncertainty as factors that could influence future purchases, but the data do not establish that either caused the August shift.