FX.co ★ EU Car Registrations Rise 5.1% in April

EU passenger car registrations rose by 5.1% year-on-year to 972,314 units in April 2026, marking a third consecutive month of growth, though slowing from the 12.5% increase recorded in March. The market continued to benefit from robust consumer demand for electrified vehicles, underpinned by new and revised tax incentives and subsidy schemes across major European countries. Among the bloc’s four largest markets, registrations increased in Germany (2.7%), Italy (11.6%), and Spain (8.4%), while France posted a slight decline of 0.3%. Over the January–April period, new EU car registrations were up 4.2%, despite ongoing geopolitical tensions that continue to fuel uncertainty and downside risks. Meanwhile, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 19.7% of the EU market year-to-date, compared with 15.3% a year earlier, underscoring the sustained momentum of the shift toward electric vehicles.