New figures from New AutoMotive and E-Mobility Europe show that new market share of fully-electric cars reached a record high, with nearly one in four new car buyers going electric. Across 17 key European markets, 212,387 EVs were sold in May alone, accounting for 23.6% of new cars sold in the period. This brings the year-to-date EV registrations to nearly one million, with 962,010 electric cars sold across these 17 territories so far this year.
Of the 17 countries included in the data, which doesn’t include nations such as the UK or Norway (the latter with it’s world-high EV adoption), the five markets with the highest EV market shares in May were Denmark at 78.7%, Finland at 49.6%, Netherlands at 41.3%, Sweden at 41.2%, and Belgium at 36.8%.
Of the larger markets, France emerged on top, with EVs accounting for 29.5% of new cars sold in May. France’s impressive market share has been helped along by its social leasing scheme, which allows lower-income households to lease new EVs with no deposit for prices as low as €100 per month. It recently announced an extension to the scheme for 2026, so we’re likely to continue seeing strong EV adoption rates across France.
Italy was another standout in the data. EV uptake has historically lagged behind many of its European neighbours, but a raft of government subsidies introduced late last year appears to be paying dividends. Private buyers can claim up to €11,000 off a new EV when scrapping a combustion vehicle rated Euro 5 or below, and the market has responded positively. The 13,276 EVs sold in May represent a year-on-year increase of more than 100%, the most significant growth of any country in the dataset.
Chris Heron, Secretary General of E-Mobility Europe, commented:
“Electric vehicles are one of Europe’s biggest growth stories in 2026. Nearly one in four new cars sold in May were fully electric. Consumers and governments alike are responding to Europe’s energy security challenge, with every new electric car sold cutting fuel costs and permanently reducing oil imports. It is particularly encouraging to see European manufacturers benefiting from this growing demand.”
