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SUV in motion with light trails and futuristic urban technology

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VW leads the EU new-car market as newcomers make their mark

The EU’s leading automotive brands and manufacturer groups performed strongly in March. But how is the rise of new entrants to the market diluting the shares of established carmakers? Autovista24 special content editor Phil Curry examines the figures. The EU’s new-car market is starting to find its footing following a difficult start to the year. But as some established brands returned to growth in March, the volume from new entrants jumped considerably. The latest ACEA data reveals a market still dominated by traditional names, while also seeing volumes shared across more manufacturers. But which brands came out on top in March? VW returns to growth Volkswagen (VW) remained the EU’s best-selling brand in the month. The German carmaker secured 115,612 registrations in the month, giving it a 10% market share. The performance meant registrations increased by 2.2% year on year, the marque’s first improvement of 2026. While VW’s share of the EU total was commanding, it was also one percentage point (pp) down on March 2025. This symbolised the increasing competition in the bloc’s automotive market. Group stablemate Skoda kept its position as second-best-selling brand in March, thanks to 75,104 registrations. The carmaker has been the most consistent performer of the VW Group marques across the first quarter. It was the only one to see growth in each month. March represented its best volume of 2026, with a 21.2% increase year on year. This was enough for a 6.5% hold of the EU market. Renault had its strongest period of the year in terms of volumes. With 72,193 units, the 3.6% increase during March 2025 saw it jump to third. The carmaker secured 6.2% of the market, although this was a drop of 0.6pp. Toyota was the fourth-best-selling brand in the month, thanks to 70,638 deliveries. Volumes increased by 6.7% compared to the same point 12 months prior, while its 6.1% market share was down 0.3pp. Ending the month in fifth was BMW. The carmaker saw 67,102 deliveries in the month, an increase of 18.5%. This meant its market share increased, albeit by just 0.3pp, to 5.8%. A rise and fall market In total, 25 of the EU’s major brands saw volumes increase year on year. However, 13 marques suffered registration decreases in March. Peugeot was the highest-volume brand to record a decline. Despite leading the Stellantis Group in terms of deliveries, its 54,454 units was 10.6% down year on year. This meant its market share fell from 5.9% in March 2025 to 4.7% last month. Ford also struggled in March, recording its third volume drop of 2026. With 26,029 units, deliveries fell 14.5%. Meanwhile, both Alfa Romeo and Mitsubishi saw drops of 17.2% and 33%, respectively. BYD saw the greatest year-on-year registration growth. The Chinese brand delivered 21,158 units to customers across the EU, a 155.2% increase in volumes. This was enough for a 1.8% market share, up 1pp. It ended March as the 21st best-selling brand in the EU. Tesla also saw a jump in fortunes. In total, the carmaker recorded 36,868 deliveries, a rise of 101.9%. With a 3.2% market share, up 1.4pp, it placed 13th in the month. New entrants making gains The latest ACEA data covers the results of 38 carmakers, with some smaller-volume brands grouped together. However, according to Autovista24 analysis, there were 50,337 registrations in March that were not attributed to brands in the available data. This grouping likely includes marques such as Xpeng, Omoda and Jaecoo, as well as other new brands to the EU. These brands had a strong presence in the European electric vehicle (EV) market during February, according to the latest data from EV Volumes. This category is steadily increasing. Non-attributed registrations increased by 209.3% in March, based on Autovista24 calculations. This gave the grouping a 4.3% share of the market, up from just 1.6% a year prior. After three months of 2026, this grouping saw an increase of 65.3%, with 119,999 units delivered to EU customers. This was enough for 4.3% of the market, a rise of 1.6pp. With more brands entering the EU market, the increased competition is diluting the shares of more established carmakers. While many saw year-on-year increases in volumes, their market shares fell. As the popularity of these new entrants rises, increasing choice for buyers, it is likely that more share dilution will occur. Strong results in first quarter Across the first quarter of the year, VW was the leading brand in the EU, with 292,231 deliveries. However, this was a drop of 3.5% year-on-year. Yet the carmaker’s market share was 10.4%, down by 0.8pp, but still 3.6pp ahead of its nearest competitor. Jumping into second after its strong performance in March was Skoda. With 191,657 units, it saw volumes jump 16.9% in the first quarter. The carmaker overtook Toyota, which dropped third with 188,140 deliveries in the three-month period. Once again, BYD saw the greatest registration increase. Across the first three months of 2026, its EU volumes improved by 169.7%, as the Chinese carmaker found its stride. As it did in March, BYD took 1.8% of the market. It was followed by Tesla, which took second in terms of growth thanks to its strong March performance. Its volumes increased by 59.6% compared with the same period last year, as 57,792 units were delivered. The US brand therefore took a 2% share of the total EU market in the month. Ford’s struggles continued in the first quarter. Deliveries were down by 18.9%, as 67,068 units were registered. Dacia also posted a decline in the period, as its 115,418-unit tally was 18.7% down year on year. VW Group dominates in March Thanks to the performance of VW, Skoda and Audi, VW Group was the dominant manufacturing group in March. With 296,431 registrations, it saw volumes rise by 7.8%. It held 25.6% of the market in the month, although with increasing competition, this dropped by 1.1pp. The result was not helped by declines for the Cupra, SEAT and Porsche brands. However, the Group’s top three marques made up 82.9% of the German carmaker’s total, powering it to an improvement. Despite counting more brands under its umbrella, Stellantis was still some way off the top spot. Its 184,842-unit tally was up 6.8% compared to March 2025, while its 16% market share was down 0.8pp. The group’s volumes were not helped by the poor result for Peugeot, which made up 29.5% of Stellantis’ total deliveries in the month. This was slightly countered by Fiat, including Abarth, which saw volumes increase 26.7%, in another strong performance for the Italian marque. Citroën also helped, with an 18.3% increase, while registrations from Opel improved 22.9%. Renault Group experienced its first monthly improvement of the year, with registrations up 3.9%. For the first time in 2026, Renault, Dacia and Alpine all posted simultaneous growth. With Renault making up 57.7% of the group’s deliveries, its strong performance in March helped boost overall volumes. A difficult pattern for some The manufacturing group results for the first quarter mirrored those of March. VW Group led the way with 745,828 deliveries, up 2.5% compared to the same period of 2025. However, its market share fell by 0.4pp, to 26.4%. While the VW brand saw a decline, the combined totals of Skoda and Audi, making up 44.1% of the group’s total, were enough to keep the overall delivery volume positive. Stellantis was the second-biggest volume group after three months of the year, with 489,081 units, up 8.5%. While Peugeot struggled, with a 7.2% drop, Fiat, Citroën and Opel, making up 58% of volumes, were able to aid the group’s growth. While sitting in third, the rollercoaster results from Renault Group meant that its 286,296 registrations were down 8.4% year on year. Two of its marques saw losses after the first quarter of 2026 was complete, with Renault dropping 0.1%, while Dacia fell 18.7%. Only Alpine registered an increase, of 20.9%, but the brand made up just 0.8% of the group’s volume total.
Futuristic car silhouette highlighted by vibrant purple neon light trails in a dark studio environment.

News

How are major markets influencing global EV sales results?

Total new electric vehicle (EV) sales fell across the world in February. But which markets and models drove this result? Autovista24 editor Tom Geggus explores EV Volumes’ latest data. Sales of new EVs, including battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), fell globally in February. Combined, 1,014,980 plug-in units took to the roads, down by 16.5% year on year, according to the latest data from EV Volumes. Figures for the first two months of the year were cushioned by a less severe 9.5% drop in January. This still equated to a cumulative year-on-year decline of 12.6%, as volumes of EVs reached 2,179,155 units. Of the two powertrains, PHEV sales saw a greater decline. Including extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), deliveries fell by 20.6% across the first two months of the year to 715,698 units. In February alone, the powertrain recorded a 22% drop in volumes to 328,243 units. However, PHEVs only accounted for 32.3% of EV sales in the month, with fully-electric cars accounting for over two thirds. BEV deliveries saw a relatively smaller 13.6% decline. This meant 686,737 newly sold cars featured all-electric technology in February. Across the first two months of 2026, this tallied to 1,463,457 units, down 8.1% year on year. Regional EV performance China, as the world’s biggest EV market by volume, led a trend of declines for both powertrains in February. While Chinese New Year fell on 17 February, the sales decreases surpassed a seasonal effect. EV Volumes confirmed BEVs, PHEVs and fuel-cell EVs were omitted from the country’s strategic five-year development plan for emerging industries. Additionally, EVs are no longer exempt from purchase tax, with a 2026 rate of 5% and 10% from 2027 onwards. The end of the national EV subsidy scheme and suspension of scrappage programmes in several cities also compounded this effect. Across January and February, China saw deliveries of PHEVS fall by 37.9% year on year. With 54.6% of the technology’s sales occurring in the country, this was a driving factor behind the global decline. Among the world’s other big PHEV markets, the US also saw a decline, with 51.4% fewer new models leaving forecourts. However, the country only represented 3.5% of the market across January and February. Global figures were helped by strong growth in Germany, the UK and Italy. Parallel BEV performance The global BEV market was broadly parallel, with 41.6% of the powertrain’s sales occurring in China. Over the first two months of 2026, deliveries of the technology declined by 29.7% year on year in the country. The US also struggled with BEV sales in the first two months of the year, with deliveries down by 32.4%. As the second-biggest global market for all-electric technology, this added to the overall decline. However, the figures were helped by good performances in Europe. Germany and France both posted double-digit improvements, while the UK avoided a drop, according to EV Volumes data. Tesla Model Y out in front The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling BEV across the world in February, delivering 68,556 units. This represented a year-on-year increase of 34.8%, as its market share climbed by 3.6 percentage points (pp) to 10%. The positive result pushed the model’s market share to 8.4% in the first two months of 2026. This gave it a sizeable lead over second place. February’s chart saw the Tesla Model 3 take second, despite its sales dropping 21.2% to 31,189 units. It accounted for 4.5% of global BEV deliveries, down 0.5pp from February 2025. This put it in third two months into the year, with 47,409 sales equating to a 3.2% market share. The BYD Seagull, also known as the Dolphin Surf in some markets, finished third in February. Its deliveries dropped by 33.4% to 20,600 units, meaning its market share slid by 0.9pp to 3%. Despite a weak January, the model still held a 2.6% share across the first two months of the year, putting it in fourth. Thanks to a good domestic result, the Xiaomi YU7 was the fourth-best-selling new BEV across the world in February. It saw 20,131 sales and a 2.9% market share. With a similar strong run in January, the Chinese model sat second in the cumulative chart. Despite being 64,951 units behind first, this was impressive for a model which first recorded deliveries in June 2025. A more recent arrival, the Li Auto I6 took fifth in February after launching in September last year. Its 15,997 units represented 2.3% of all new BEV sales. It also took fifth across the first two months of 2026 with a slightly smaller share of 2.2%. Highs and lows The second half of February’s global BEV table saw the Geely Geome Xingyuan, also known as the EX2, come sixth. However, its 13,596 sales were down 52.4% year on year. This meant its market share slipped from 3.6% to 2%. The model took a 2.1% share in the cumulative results with 30,038 sales. The Nio ES8, also known as the EL8, took seventh in February. Its deliveries climbed by 2321.7% to 11,818 units. It accounted for 1.7% of all BEV sales, up 1.6pp. This put it ahead of the Geely Geome Xingyuan between January and February, with 30,374 units moved and a 2.1% market share. In the monthly results, the Toyota bZ4X was eighth with its sales rising by 154.1% to 11,203 units. It claimed a 1.6% share, up 1pp. This put its cumulative hold on the market at 1.4% after a weaker January. Two BYD models closed out February’s table. The BYD Yuan Up, also known as the Atto 2, came ninth with 10,035 deliveries, down 38.7%. Its share slumped by 0.6pp to 1.5%. The model closed out the cumulative table in 10th with a 1.4% share. The BYD Dolphin was next, seeing a more gradual sales decline of 4.6% to 9,761 units. This gave it a 1.4% grip on the market, up 0.1pp. The BEV came eighth across January and February with a 1.7% share. BYD takes top two The BYD Song Pro was the best-selling new PHEV across the world in February. It recorded 13,130 deliveries, which was down 33.5% year on year as its market share shrank by 0.7pp to 4%. It took second across the first two months of the year with a 3.7% grip on the global PHEV market. The BYD Song Plus, also known as the Seal U, felt an even sharper decline. With results dropping 57.5%, it recorded 11,183 sales. The model accounted for 3.4% of all PHEV deliveries, down from 6.3% in February 2025. It came third in the cumulative table with a 3.6% share. Not far behind in February was the Fang Cheng Bao Tai 7. First recording sales in the second half of 2025, it counted 11,078 deliveries in February, taking a share of 3.4%. However, it took first place and a 4% share across the first two months of 2026. Fourth in February was the BYD Seal 6. Its sales dropped by 48.7% to 6,489 units. This drove its share down to 2% from 3% a year prior. The Aito M7 was close behind as its sales climbed by 24.5% to 6,479 units. This sent its share upwards by 0.8pp to 2% in the month. Established models see declines With 6,120 sales, deliveries of the BYD Qin Plus were down by 63.4%. Its share dropped by more than half to 1.9%. The Li Auto L6 was seventh with a 1.6% hold over the market, down from 3.1% a year earlier. It recorded 5,190 units, down by 60.6%. First recording sales in September 2025, the Zeekr 9X managed 5,095 sales, taking a 1.6% share. The Jaecoo J7 strengthened its grip on the market by 1.1pp to 1.5%. This was thanks to a sales increase of 170.4% to 4,945 units. The only European model in the PHEV top 10 was the Volvo XC60. It managed 4,772 sales in February, down by 22.3% year on year. However, it was able to maintain its 1.5% market share.

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