List of best selling cars in Europe in May 2026

After a slow start to the year, Europe’s new car market has picked up pace again. In May, according to data published by ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers Association), a total of 1,152,523 vehicles were registered in the European Union, EFTA countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) and the United Kingdom, an increase of 3.6 percent compared to the same month in 2025.

The growth rate was 3.2 percent in the EU, 1.4 percent in the EFTA countries and 3.6 percent in the UK. Among the major continental markets, Italy once again came out with the strongest result, recording a 7.6 percent increase in registrations. France and Germany also ended in positive territory at +3.7 percent and +0.1 percent respectively, while Spain was the only major market to end the month down 0.8 percent.

The share of gasoline and diesel continues to decline

Between January and May 2026, battery-electric vehicles reached 20 percent of the European market with more than 950,000 registrations, up 15.3 percent from a year earlier. The majority of that gain came from Italy (+75.7 percent), France (+55.4 percent), and Germany (+40.9 percent).

However, hybrids remain the most popular choice among buyers with 37.8 percent share and around 1.8 million vehicles registered. There was also growth in plug-in hybrids, which grew by 9.7 percent of the market, largely due to growth in Italy (+84.9 percent).

In contrast, conventional powertrains continued to decline. Registrations of gasoline cars declined 18.2 percent, reducing market share to 22.4 percent, while diesel fell 16.6 percent to 7.6 percent. Combined, gasoline and diesel now account for 30.1 percent of new car registrations in the EU, down 38 percent compared to the same period in 2025.

Best-selling powertrains in Europe in May 2026

Group Ranking: Who Made the Most Sales in May 2026

In the first five months of 2026, the European market continues to be led by Volkswagen Group, which is in first place with 25.8 percent of registrations, followed by Stellantis (15.5 percent) and Renault (9.2 percent). Among the major groups, Stellantis (+5.3 percent), BMW (+3.3 percent), and Mercedes-Benz (+2.8 percent) recorded the biggest gains, while Renault, Hyundai, and Toyota posted slight declines.

At the forefront are Chinese automakers, which are expanding rapidly. BYD increased registrations by 145.2 percent (+136.6 percent in the EU+EFTA+UK region), Chery by 316 percent and Leapmotor by 552.9 percent (+465.1 percent in the EU+EFTA+UK region). SAIC and Geely also ended the period with gains. Tesla also performed well, up 57.2 percent compared to the same period in 2025 (+107.9 percent in the EU+EFTA+UK region).

Brands under pressure included Ford (-16.9 percent), Nissan (-11.4 percent), and Mitsubishi (-42.9 percent). Within the major groups, Fiat, Skoda and Mini experienced significant growth, while Peugeot, Porsche, Alfa Romeo and Dacia recorded declines.