EU Battery-Electric Car Sales Jump 45% in First Eight Months of 2026

According to a new report from Transport & Environment (T&E) published on October 5, 2026, fully electric car sales across the European Union rose 45% in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, reaching 1.64 million units. The share of battery-electric vehicles in new-car sales climbed to 28% in August. For the first time, electric cars outsold gasoline-only cars across an entire quarter in the second quarter of 2026. France and Germany together accounted for about half of EU electric sales in the first half of the year, with BEV share reaching 38% in France and 32% in Germany in August. T&E attributed the acceleration to record-high fuel prices, an expanding range of affordable models below 25,000 euros, and tightening emissions standards. The group estimated that home-charged EVs now cost roughly 50% less to run than gasoline or diesel vehicles.