Europe's EV Wave Keeps Rising: Six Countries Hit 50% Electric in September

September proved to be a decisive month for electric vehicle adoption across Europe, with battery-electric cars accounting for roughly half of new passenger registrations in at least six countries. Several other markets also posted fresh records, albeit at somewhat more modest levels.

Norway once again sits at the top of the table, with fully electric models representing 98.8 per cent of the 18,733 new passenger cars registered during the month. The country’s electrification push extends beyond passenger cars too: nearly three-quarters (74.6 per cent) of new vans sold in September were purely battery-powered.

Denmark is closing the gap on Norway’s leadership. Electric vehicles claimed a record 88.8 per cent share of the 20,026 new passenger cars registered there in September, lifting the third-quarter share to 85.4 per cent. Perhaps more striking is the shift in Denmark’s overall vehicle fleet: pure petrol cars now make up just under half of all passenger cars on the road, down from more than 65 per cent at the end of 2020, while EVs have climbed to 24.3 per cent.

Finland passed a symbolic milestone, with September’s EV share reaching 62.1 per cent and the year-to-date figure crossing 50 per cent for the first time at 50.4 per cent. Sweden is close behind, recording a 49 per cent share for September compared with 38 per cent a year earlier, and a 46 per cent share for the first nine months. The Netherlands also showed strong momentum, with EVs taking 52.8 per cent of September registrations, up sharply from 37.5 per cent in September 2025, while cars with a pure petrol engine and no hybrid assistance have shrunk to just 7.4 per cent of the year-to-date market. Belgium joined the 50 per cent club at 50.9 per cent, and Portugal reached 47.7 per cent for the month.

Other markets posted records without crossing the halfway mark. The United Kingdom saw 99,199 EVs registered in September, a 36.3 per cent share, though its year-to-date figure of 26.2 per cent remains below the government’s mandated targets. Ireland’s EV share stood at 27.43 per cent, France at 42 per cent, and Switzerland at 35.7 per cent — the first time EVs have exceeded a third of new registrations there. In Spain, fully electric cars were the second most popular choice at 16.4 per cent for the month, while electrified vehicles overall, including hybrids, accounted for 30 per cent of sales. Italy remains the outlier, with EVs taking just 7.6 per cent of September sales and 8 per cent year-to-date, though mild and full hybrids together made up half the market.