EVs have outsold gas cars in Europe for the first time in history
Published on Jan 30, 2026 at 11:12 AM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Jan 30, 2026 at 12:43 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
Europe just crossed a car-sales line it had never crossed before.
For the first time, electric vehicles didn’t just gain ground, they took the lead.
It happened in a single month, but the shift behind it has been building for years.
And now it’s finally visible in the numbers.
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The month electric vehicles finally overtook gas cars in Europe
December was the moment the switch flipped.
Buyers across the EU registered 217,898 electric vehicles, just edging past the 216,492 gas cars sold in the same month.
That gap is small, but the trend behind it isn’t.
EV sales were up 50 percent compared to the year before, while gas car sales dropped by almost 20 percent.
This wasn’t limited to the EU either.
The same thing happened in the UK and nearby non-EU countries.
Looking at the bigger picture, electric cars now make up 17.4 percent of all new car sales in the EU.
Hybrids are still the most popular choice at 34.5 percent, but diesel’s fall has been dramatic.
Once the backbone of European driving, diesel now accounts for only about nine percent of sales.
So this wasn’t a flash sale or a seasonal bump, it was years of steady growth finally tipping the balance.
Electric cars didn’t win because gas cars failed overnight.
They won because enough buyers finally felt ready to make the change.
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Why Europe got here first, and what could change next
Europe hit this milestone before the US for one simple reason: choice.
Buyers can pick from a wide range of EVs, including small city cars that cost around $10,000 and a growing lineup of Chinese-built models.
When people have more options that actually fit their lives, they’re more willing to buy in.
Analysts say this proves demand was always there.
It just needed the right cars to unlock it.
Some brands are feeling the shift more than others.
Tesla lost a big chunk of its European market share last year, while BYD rapidly expanded its footprint.
Then there’s Norway, which has already gone almost fully electric, with 96 percent of new car registrations now EVs.
That doesn’t mean the road ahead is perfectly smooth.
The EU is rethinking parts of its long-term EV rules, including softening its original 2035 plan to end new gas car sales.
Future growth could also depend on how Europe handles low-cost Chinese imports.
Still, December sent a clear message: electric cars aren’t the future anymore.
In Europe, they’ve officially become the present.
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With roles at TEXT Journal, Bowen Street Press, Onya Magazine, and Swine Magazine on her CV, Molly joined Supercar Blondie in June 2025 as a Junior Content Writer. Having experience across copyediting, proofreading, reference checking, and production, she brings accuracy, clarity, and audience focus to her stories spanning automotive, tech, and lifestyle news.
