EU passenger car registrations surged 12.5% year-on-year to an over six-year high of 1.2 million units in March 2026, accelerating sharply from 1.4% growth in the previous month, supported by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries. Growth was seen across the bloc’s four largest markets: Germany (16.0%), France (12.9%), Spain (11.7%), and Italy (7.6%). In the first quarter of the year, new EU car registrations rose 4%, driven largely by March’s strong performance. Meanwhile, the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) segment continued to gain traction, with its market share rising to 19.4% year-to-date from 15.2% a year earlier. In March alone, BEV registrations soared 48.9% year-on-year to 234,532 units, signalling a shift away from combustion engines amid surging fuel costs. Growth was recorded in Italy (72.1%), France (68.8%), Germany (66.2%), and Denmark (48.4%). Last year, total EU car registrations rose 1.8% compared with 2024.