EV sales surge across Europe as petrol prices increase

Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) across Europe rose sharply in the first quarter of 2026, as higher petrol prices prompted drivers to shift away from internal combustion engine cars, according to a recent report by Reuters.

Registrations of new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), often used as a measure of sales, rose by 29.4 percent year-on-year to nearly 560,000 in the quarter. In March alone, registrations increased by 51.3 percent to more than 240,000 across 15 European markets, according to data from E-Mobility Europe and New Automotive as cited in the Reuters report.

The two organisations said that the roughly half a million EVs registered during the quarter could reduce oil consumption by an estimated two million barrels per year.

The rise in demand comes amid a surge in fuel costs linked to the Iran war 2026, which has driven petrol prices to their highest levels in years. 

Growth was particularly strong in Europe’s five largest electric vehicle markets – Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Poland – where BEV sales have risen by more than 40 percent so far this year. In March, electric vehicles made up an estimated 21.2 per cent of all new vehicles sold across the EU and EFTA.

In the United Kingdom, Europe’s second-largest EV market after Germany, registrations rose by 12.8 per cent in the first quarter, according to New Automotive. Electric cars made up 22.5 per cent of new vehicle sales during the period.