Electric vehicle adoption in the EU surged in the first eight months of 2026, with battery-electric sales reaching 1.64 million—a 45% increase year-on-year—according to data cited by Transport and Environment. For the first time, battery-electric registrations outpaced petrol models, accounting for a 22% market share, with August alone hitting 28% in the EU. France and Germany led with 38% and 32% shares, respectively, for that month.
The growth is driven in part by an expanding range of affordable models. Transport and Environment reports 16 battery-electric models under €25,000 will be available by the end of 2026, double the number from last year, with sales of these cheaper models projected to reach seven times their 2024 levels. Over 150 mass-market electric models are now on sale in the EU, with about 60 new entries in 2026 alone, compared to an average of 15 annually between 2021 and 2025.
A policy debate is now shaping the next phase of this transition. Massimiliano Salini, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for the 2035 combustion engine phase-out, has proposed a 90% emissions cut instead of a full ban, with compliance stretched over five years instead of three. His plan would also treat cars running on renewable fuels as equivalent to electric vehicles. Transport and Environment’s modeling suggests Salini’s version would leave battery-electric sales at 22% in 2030—unchanged from today—rising to just 39% by 2035, compared to 47% and 85% under the European Commission’s original proposal. Under these projections, European carmakers would sell about 5.7 million battery-electric vehicles in 2035, while Chinese manufacturers would sell 11.9 million.
European manufacturers currently supply nearly 60% of the models available, having added 16 new models in the first half of 2026, while Chinese brands hold a 21% share. The advocacy group notes that carmakers have already closed three-quarters of the gap to the 2025-2027 emissions targets halfway through the period, with BMW, Stellantis, Kia, and the Mercedes-Volvo pool already in compliance .
