European EV sales rocket in face of Iran war
Sales of new electric cars have jumped by almost a third in Europe since the start of the year.
Figures gathered by by trade association E-Mobility Europe and research firm New Automotive show that across 15 key markets average EV registrations were up 29.4% in the first quarter of 2026.
The 15 countries studied represent 94% of all pure EV sales in the EU and European Free Trade Association, with almost 560,000 new EVs registered between the start of January and end of March.
The joint report from the two bodies showed that region’s five largest EV markets – Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Poland – each recorded EV sales growth of more than 40% in Q1 of the year.
The growth has been particularly marked since the start of the Iran conflict. March alone saw 240,000 new registrations – a 51.3% jump over the same month last year. The reported estimated that 21.2% of all new cars registered last month were electric.
Chris Heron, E-Mobility Europe’s secretary general, said: “March’s surge in electric car sales is one of Europe’s biggest recent gains in energy security, in a month when oil dependence has become a real vulnerability.”
The war in Iran has sent shockwaves through the oil markets and driven up petrol and diesel prices by more than 20%. Previous data suggested a sharp increase in interest in EVs since the start of the conflict as drivers look to reduce running costs, and March’s figures appear to support this.
E-Mobility Europe and New Automotive estimate that the spike in new EVs is enough to reduce oil consumption in the region by two million barrels per year.
New EV sales in the UK are also increasing. The latest data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows that March’s EV registrations were 24% higher than a year ago and marked their strongest ever month, with more than 86,000 new EVs registered.
Separate data from New Automotive estimates that across the first quarter of the year new EV registrations in the UK have grown by almost 13%.
The increase has been attributed to worries over fuel price volatility and a shift in EV pricing that means an average electric car is now cheaper than an average petrol one.
