EU new car registrations rose 4.5% in August, marking seven consecutive months of growth; the share of electric vehicles climbed to 21.7%.

Note that data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) on Thursday showed that EU new car registrations rose 4.5% year-on-year in August to 708,211 units, extending the market's growth momentum to a seventh consecutive month, with demand for electric vehicles (EVs) remaining strong. The August growth rate accelerated from a 3% increase in July, with all four major EU car markets recording gains. Spain posted the largest increase at 11.8%, followed by France at 7.4%, Italy at 3.2% and Germany at 2.6%. In the first eight months of 2026, EU new car registrations still grew 5.3% despite persistent political uncertainty surrounding GEO Group Inc and rising energy prices. ACEA said EV demand continued to benefit from market support measures and a richer selection of available models. As of August, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 21.7% of EU new car registrations, up from 15.8% a year earlier, underscoring the ongoing shift toward electrification. Hybrids ranked first with a 36.6% share, while plug-in hybrids accounted for 10%. Among major markets, in the first eight months of 2026, BEV registrations rose 74.2% in France, 53.1% in Germany and 40.9% in Denmark. France, Germany and Denmark together accounted for 64% of total EU BEV registrations during the period. Year to date, Chinese automakers continued to record strong growth in the EU. CHERY AUTO rose 250.9% to 116,318 units; BYD Company Limited rose 163% to 177,752 units. Tesla, Inc. (TSLA.US) sales climbed 65.9% to 142,165 units; SAIC Motor Corporation rose 19.8% to 163,707 units; Geely Group rose 7.8% to 205,047 units. Among major traditional automakers, Volkswagen Group rose 1.3% to 1.99 million units; Stellantis (STLA.US) rose 5.2% to 1.2 million units; while Ford Motor Company (F.US) fell 17.7%, Renault Group fell 4% and Hyundai fell 2.2%.