Europe car registrations rise 5.1% in April; Tesla surges 46%

[Car salesperson showing cars to a couple shopping at the dealership]
andresr/E+ via Getty Images

EU passenger car registrations rose 5.1% year-on-year to 972,314 units in April, marking the third consecutive month of growth as demand for electric and hybrid vehicles continued to climb.

Sales expanded in major markets, including Germany and the UK, with EV deliveries jumping 38%.

In April 2026 year-to-date, new EU car registrations [https://www.acea.auto/pc-registrations/new-car-registrations-4-2-in-april-2026-year-to-date-battery-electric-19-7-market-share/] increased by 4.2%, despite ongoing geopolitical factors that are heightening uncertainty and downside risks.

Tesla (TSLA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/TSLA]) saw a significant volume surge, with April registrations jumping 46.5% year-on-year to 10,654 units, bringing its year-to-date volume to 89,429 units (up 45.8%). The growth comes as the company is also seeking approval [https://seekingalpha.com/news/4574286-tesla-wins-first-european-approval-for-fsd-supervised] for its full self-driving technology in the EU.

The market continued to benefit from strong consumer demand for a range of electrified technologies, supported by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries. Hybrid-electric vehicles lead as the most popular power type choice among buyers, while the battery-electric car market share reached 19.7%. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids captured 9.6% of the market, the ACEA data showed.

In contrast, by the end of April 2026, petrol car registrations declined by 17.7%, with decreases across all major markets. France recorded the sharpest drop, with registrations plummeting by 36.6%, whereas other key markets also saw double-digit decreases: Spain (-18.6%), Italy (-18%), and Germany (-17.2%).

Tickers to watch: Volkswagen Group (OTCPK:VLKAF [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/VLKAF#source=section%3Amain_content%7Cbutton%3Abody_link%7Cfirst_level_url%3Anews]), Stellantis (STLA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/STLA]), Renault Group (OTCPK:RNSDF [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/RNSDF#source=section%3Amain_content%7Cbutton%3Abody_link%7Cfirst_level_url%3Anews]), Hyundai (OTCPK:HYMTF [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/HYMTF#source=section%3Amain_content%7Cbutton%3Abody_link%7Cfirst_level_url%3Anews]), Toyota Motor (NYSE:TM [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/TM#source=section%3Amain_content%7Cbutton%3Abody_link%7Cfirst_level_url%3Anews]), BMW (BMWKY [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/BMWKY]), Mercedes-Benz (OTCPK:MBGAF [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/MBGAF#source=section%3Amain_content%7Cbutton%3Abody_link%7Cfirst_level_url%3Anews]), Ford Motor (NYSE:F [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/F#source=section%3Amain_content%7Cbutton%3Abody_link%7Cfirst_level_url%3Anews]), Volvo Cars, Tesla (TSLA [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/TSLA]), Nissan (OTCPK:NSANY [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/NSANY#source=section%3Amain_content%7Cbutton%3Abody_link%7Cfirst_level_url%3Anews]), and Suzuki (OTCPK:SZKMY [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/SZKMY#source=section%3Amain_content%7Cbutton%3Abody_link%7Cfirst_level_url%3Anews]).

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