Europe EV sales outpace forecasts as BEV share hits 30.5%

By Amir Orusov

Sept 17 (Reuters) - Battery-electric vehicle registrations in Europe rose 54.2% in August, pushing the market well ahead of forecasts for 2026 as fully electric cars accounted for nearly one in three new vehicles sold.

BEV registrations across 16 key European markets rose to 202,833 vehicles in August, giving fully electric cars a 30.5% market share, according to data from E-Mobility Europe, New Automotive and Fier Automotive.

More than 1.67 million BEVs have been registered across Europe so far this year, up 33.1% from the same period in 2025.

The figures suggest Europe's EV market is outperforming expectations. T&E had forecast a 23% BEV share for the EU this year, while Rho Motion projected around 21% across Europe. BEV registrations across the 16 markets are up 33.1% year-to-date, with sales of fully electric cars alone exceeding forecasts made for the broader plug-in vehicle market, including both BEVs and plug-in hybrids, the groups said.

France reached a 38.3% BEV market share in August, with 36,159 fully electric vehicles registered, while Germany's share rose to 32.5% after 68,980 BEVs were registered during the month.

Several smaller markets remained among Europe's most electrified. Norway led with a 98.7% BEV share, followed by Denmark at 85.9%, Finland at 52.3%, the Netherlands at 48.9%, Belgium at 46.2% and Portugal at 36.1%.

"The priority now is certainty matched by delivery: policymakers and industry working together to sustain this momentum and secure European leadership," said Chris Heron, secretary general of E-Mobility Europe

(Reporting by Amir Orusov; Editing by Matt Scuffham)