In September 2026, newly registered battery electric vehicles outpaced traditional diesel passenger cars nearly fourfold in Germany and secured a narrow monthly lead in Slovakia, reflecting a broader European transition away from combustion. Across the European Union, the broader shift continued as total new passenger car registrations in September rose by 9.3 percent year-on-year to 971,048 vehicles, according to data published by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA).
Electric Car Registrations Rise in Germany and Slovakia
In the German market, nearly four times as many purely electric passenger cars were registered in September compared to classic diesel vehicles. Elektromobily dosiahli podiel 34,5 percenta a ich počet medziročne vzrástol o 95 percent. Between January and September 2026, data from the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) showed that 604,144 new electric vehicles were added in Germany, representing a 58 percent year-on-year increase, alongside 247,489 plug-in hybrid registrations.
On the Slovak market, the shift progressed at a more modest pace. According to the Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak Republic, 7,021 new passenger cars were registered in September 2026. Among them, 734 were purely electric vehicles, capturing 10.5 percent of the market, while traditional diesel cars without hybrid systems totaled 595 registrations, or 8.47 percent. In comparison, gasoline-powered vehicles accounted for 36.4 percent and gasoline hybrids represented another 32 percent of Slovak registrations that month.
Electric Vehicle Demand Offsets Combustion Engine Sales in EU
Across the wider European Union, the rising demand for electrified vehicles offset drops in internal combustion engine sales. ACEA reported that sales of purely electric vehicles increased by 72.9 percent in September to reach 290,117 units. Conversely, sales of gasoline-powered vehicles dropped by 23.4 percent to 168,564 units, and diesel vehicles fell by 29.6 percent to 50,557 units. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) saw sales rise by 7.3 percent to 330,693 units, while plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) grew by 11.7 percent to 102,267 units.
Despite the rapid growth in new registrations, electric vehicles still account for a small fraction of the total active vehicle fleet. On Slovensku, vehicles formed the total fleet, out of which 24,661 were purely electric, representing approximately 0.9 percent of all registered automobiles.
