01.10.2026
August delivered another strong month for Europe’s new car market, with registrations rising by 5.2% to 828,402 units. According to JATO Dynamics data, electrification remained the dominant growth story, with BEV demand continuing its recent growth and reaching its highest August volume on record.
Battery-electric vehicle registrations jumped by 52.2% YoY to 242,425 units, lifting BEV market share from 20.2% in 2025 to 29.3% for August 2026 . Nearly one in three new cars registered in Europe during the month was fully electric, underlining how quickly consumer demand continues to shift towards zero-emission vehicles.
Plug-in hybrids also remained on a strong growth trajectory. Registrations increased by 13.8% to 94,474 units, while HEVs grew by 6.5% to 104,919 units. MHEVs continue to gradually take over from conventional ICE vehicles, with August's 174,116 registrations posting stable growth of 1.0%.
The biggest loser continued to be conventional combustion vehicles. Registrations fell by 23.4% YoY to 200,428 units, reducing their share to just 24.2% of the market. What was once the dominant powertrain, ICE has now been outsold by BEVs in August, demonstrating how rapidly the competitive landscape is evolving.
Taking three of the top four positions, Volkswagen dominates the August 2026 best-seller table. It's T-Roc, Golf, and Tiguan are only split by Dacia's Sandero in second place, all with more than 11,000 units - and the best-selling T-Roc topping 12,000 registrations for the month. Tesla's Model Y sits in sixth as the highest BEV model in the list.
The strongest-performing BEV models included the Model Y, Skoda Elroq, BMW iX1, BMW iX3, and Volkswagen ID.4 — all exceeding 6,000 registrations during the month. At the same time, newer entrants such as the Renault 5, Kia EV2, Cupra Raval, and Volkswagen ID. Polo contributed to further market expansion.
With its model performance highlighted above, it should come as little surprise that Volkswagen remained Europe’s largest brand in August. Registrations came in at 82,576 units, although volumes declined by 4.2% YoY. The brand’s success continues to be supported by a broad portfolio spanning combustion, hybrid and BEV powertrains, with strong performances from core model families — Golf, T-Roc, Tiguan and ID.
Toyota retained second position with 56,192 registrations and posted 2.8% growth, continuing to benefit from its leadership in hybrid technology. Skoda delivered one of the strongest performances among Europe's top-volume brands, increasing registrations by 5.4% to 54,029 units, supported by strong demand for the Elroq, Enyaq, Octavia and Kodiaq.
BMW climbed to fourth position with 52,479 registrations (+2.0%), driven by exceptional demand for the iX1 and iX3. Mercedes-Benz followed closely with 48,226 registrations, recording a robust 5.8% increase thanks to strong performances from the new CLA and GLC line-ups.
Among the most notable growth stories, Kia surged by 16.9%, reaching 36,765 units, making it the fastest-growing major volume brand in the top 10. New EV introductions including the EV2, EV3, EV4 and EV5 are helping the brand strengthen its position across Europe.
Meanwhile, Audi experienced a challenging month, declining by 11.2%, while Dacia fell by 13.1% despite the continued success of the Sandero. Peugeot remained broadly stable with 33,733 registrations.
Chinese-owned manufacturers also continued to gain momentum. Combined registrations reached 37,809 units, up 76% YoY, driven by strong performances from BYD, XPENG, MG, Zeekr, Jaecoo and Omoda. While still representing a relatively small portion of the overall market, their growth rate continues to significantly exceed the market average.
Performance varied across Europe's largest markets. Germany remained the region's largest market with 268,000 registrations, while Great Britain and Poland were among the strongest performers, both growing by 12%. Registrations declined in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Northern and Western European markets continued to lead BEV adoption, while hybrids remained more prominent in Southern and Eastern Europe. However, electrified vehicles were the primary source of growth across the majority of Europe’s largest markets.
At brand level, Volkswagen remained Europe’s most-registered car make, despite volumes falling by 4% to 118,700 units. Skoda retained second position with 74,800 registrations, down 3%, while Toyota registrations increased by 4% to 73,600 units.
Steffen Michulski, Regional Consultant Europe at JATO Dynamics, comments: "August felt like another milestone month for Europe’s EV transition. BEVs didn't just grow, they pulled further away from combustion cars and came close to capturing one-third of the market. What's particularly striking is that this momentum is no longer coming from a handful of trailblazers. From established European brands to ambitious newcomers, the race is now fully electric, and it's accelerating."
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For full rankings, detailed analysis or media enquiries please contact Laura Cameron: laura.cameron@jato.com
About JATO
Founded in 1984, JATO Dynamics is the world’s leading provider of automotive market intelligence. Operating across more than 50 markets worldwide, JATO delivers accurate data and insights on vehicle specifications, pricing, sales and registrations, powering data-driven decisions across the global automotive industry.
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