These Automakers Sold The Most Cars in Europe Last Month

Europe’s new-car market roared back to life in May 2026, with 1,152,523 registrations across the EU, EFTA (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland), and the UK—a 3.6% year-over-year jump. The EU alone grew 3.2%, while the UK matched the overall rise at 3.6%. Italy led the charge with a 7.6% surge, followed by France (+3.7%) and Germany (+0.1%). Spain was the only major market to slip, down 0.8%. The EV revolution is accelerating: battery-electric cars hit a 20% market share in the first five months of 2026, soaring from 15.3% a year earlier. Italy (+75.7%), France (+55.4%), and Germany (+40.9%) drove the charge. Hybrids remain king, commanding 37.8% of the market with nearly 1.8 million registrations, while plug-in hybrids grew to 9.7%—thanks largely to an 84.9% surge in Italy. Gasoline and diesel continued their freefall: gasoline dropped 18.2% to a 22.4% share, and diesel fell 16.6% to 7.6%. Combined, they now account for just 30.1% of new registrations, down from 38% in the same period last year. Electrified vehicles (BEV+HEV+PHEV) now make up 67.5% of the market. The top-selling powertrains in May 2026 were hybrids (37.8%), gasoline (22.4%), and EVs (20.0%), with plug-in hybrids at 9.7% and diesel at 7.6%. The Volkswagen Group held firm in first place with 25.8% of registrations over the first five months of 2026, followed by Stellantis (15.5%) and Renault (9.2%). Stellantis (+5.3%), BMW (+3.3%), and Mercedes-Benz (+2.8%) posted the strongest gains among major groups, while Renault, Hyundai, and Toyota saw slight declines. Chinese brands are storming Europe: BYD surged 145.2%, Chery exploded by 316%, and Leapmotor skyrocketed 552.9%. SAIC and Geely also grew, while Tesla delivered a 57.2% increase. On the flip side, Ford (-16.9%), Nissan (-11.4%), and Mitsubishi (-42.9%) struggled. Within major groups, Fiat, Skoda, and Mini thrived, while Peugeot, Porsche, Alfa Romeo, and Dacia faltered. In May 2026 alone, Volkswagen Group sold 300,299 units (-3.0%), Stellantis 164,958 (-2.3%), Renault 110,124 (-1.0%), Hyundai 86,444 (-2.4%), BMW 82,277 (+4.1%), Toyota 78,168 (-0.6%), Mercedes-Benz 56,185 (+0.6%), Geely 38,146 (+12.6%), Ford 25,290 (-28.3%), SAIC 30,527 (+13.9%), BYD 32,380 (+136.6%), Nissan 17,730 (-16.0%), Chery (including Jaecoo, Jetour, Omoda) 27,412 (+244.1%), Tesla 28,610 (+107.9%), Suzuki 13,965 (+2.2%), Mazda 12,597 (+6.2%), JLR 10,086 (-0.7%), Leapmotor 9,945 (+465.1%), Honda 5,695 (+8.3%), and Mitsubishi 2,260 (-44.7%).