Electric Car Sales in Portugal 2026: 38.6% Share as EVs Outsell Petrol
Published: 09/11/2026
EVs outsold petrol and diesel combined in Europe for the first time
38.6%. That was the battery-electric share of new car sales in Portugal in Q3 2026, based on calculations from ACEA data — well above the 27.1% EU average. In September alone, fully electric cars took 47.7% of new passenger car registrations here, and Portugal finished the quarter 7th out of the 27 EU countries. If you've been tracking electric car sales in Portugal in 2026, these are the freshest numbers available.
The European backdrop is historic too. Between July and September, battery-electric cars outsold petrol and diesel combined across the EU, something that had never happened over a full quarter. One rival still holds out, though: hybrids. And that's exactly where Portugal parts ways with the rest of the continent.
EU electric car sales in the third quarter of 2026
The figures come from Transport & Environment (T&E), a Brussels-based campaign group, working from data published by ACEA, the European carmakers' association:
| Powertrain (EU, Q3 2026) | Registrations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrids (full and mild) | 892,380 | 34.1% |
| Battery electric (BEV) | 710,580 | 27.1% |
| Petrol | 492,930 | 18.8% |
| Diesel | 162,610 | 6.2% |
| Petrol + diesel | 655,540 | 25.0% |
| Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) | 282,520 | 10.8% |
That's roughly 55,000 more EVs than pure petrol and diesel cars put together. The turning point had been building for a while: BEVs overtook petrol on its own in Q2, and in Q3 they sold 44% more than petrol cars. On a monthly basis, EVs beat combustion combined in both August and September — 290,117 BEVs versus 219,121 petrol and diesel cars in September.
It isn't just a big-market story. Thirteen of the 27 EU countries posted their best-ever quarter for EV sales, and BEVs are now the top-selling powertrain in ten national markets.
Why hybrids still lead car sales in Europe
Almost 180,000 units. That's how far full and mild hybrids stayed ahead of EVs in Q3. Worth clarifying: in these statistics, "hybrids" excludes plug-ins, which are counted separately.
Two markets do most of the heavy lifting. In Italy, EVs managed only 6.7% of the quarter, and in September hybrids made up half the market — 70,188 hybrids against just 10,552 EVs. In Spain, the Q3 BEV share was 14.1%, while hybrid sales grew 20.5% year-to-date. For first-time buyers of an electrified car, a hybrid still feels like the safer bet: no home charger needed and a lower entry price.
Over January to September, hybrids hold 36.3% of the EU market against 22.7% for EVs (up from 16.1% a year earlier). Petrol and diesel combined dropped from 36.9% to 28.2%.
In Portugal, EVs are already the best-selling powertrain
No rival holds out here. Portugal registered 20,020 fully electric cars in Q3, nearly double the 10,502 hybrids. BEVs also outsold petrol and diesel combined by 2.3 to 1.
| Powertrain (Portugal, Q3 2026) | Registrations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Battery electric (BEV) | 20,020 | 38.6% |
| Hybrids (full and mild) | 10,502 | 20.3% |
| Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) | 8,697 | 16.8% |
| Petrol | 6,942 | 13.4% |
| Others (LPG, etc.) | 4,091 | 7.9% |
| Diesel | 1,580 | 3.0% |
| Total | 51,832 | 100% |
A note on where these numbers come from: ACEA doesn't publish a quarterly table by country. The Q3 figures are the difference between ACEA's January–September and January–June data (which, for Portugal, are based on national industry association figures, i.e. ACAP). They're provisional and may be revised slightly.
Add plug-ins to the mix and more than half of the new cars sold in Portugal in the quarter (55.4%) could plug into a socket. Petrol and diesel together managed just 16.4%.
Electric car sales in Portugal in September 2026
September was the standout month. Of 19,589 new passenger cars registered, 9,338 were fully electric — 47.7% of the total, up from 29.3% in September 2025. BEV sales rose 87.4% year-on-year, while petrol fell 32.0% and diesel 53.7%. The overall market grew 15.2%.
From January to September, 54,726 electric cars were sold in Portugal, up 49.1% on the same period of 2025. The year-to-date EV market share in Portugal stands at 29.0% (from 21.4%), and BEVs lead the year-to-date ranking too, ahead of 49,431 hybrids.
Portugal vs EU electric car share
The gap with Southern Europe is striking. On Q3 EV share, Portugal (38.6%) ties with France and sits ahead of markets often seen as e-mobility leaders:
| Country | BEV share, Q3 2026 |
|---|---|
| Denmark | 85.4% |
| Netherlands | 50.3% |
| Belgium | 46.8% |
| Portugal | 38.6% |
| France | 38.6% |
| Germany | 32.0% |
| EU average | 27.1% |
| Spain | 14.1% |
| Italy | 6.7% |
That puts Portugal 11.5 percentage points above the EU average. The Spain comparison says the most: Portugal's EV share is nearly three times its neighbour's, even though both markets have access to practically the same models.
What's driving electric car sales
Three factors explain Europe's acceleration, according to T&E and the trade press.
Pricier fuel. Diesel prices rose 38% after the Iran war began, and T&E estimates the oil shock has cost European drivers €53 billion. Meanwhile, an EV charged at home costs roughly half as much to run as a petrol or diesel car.
National incentives. Germany offers €3,000 to €6,000 towards a new EV, France reopened its social leasing scheme at €200 a month, and Spain launched its €350 million Auto+ programme. In Portugal, tax treatment matters more than direct grants: fully electric cars are exempt from ISV (the one-off registration tax on new and imported cars) and IUC (the annual road tax), which makes a real difference to the purchase price and running costs, especially for company cars.
Cheaper models. Leapmotor, Geely and BYD have expanded their line-ups below €25,000, and Chinese brands accounted for 8.5% of EU registrations in September. T&E expects 16 EVs priced under €25,000 by the end of 2026, four of them under €20,000. Even so, Europe's best-selling car in September was an American EV: the Tesla Model Y.
Frequently Asked Questions
From January to September 2026, battery electric cars made up 29.0% of new passenger car sales in Portugal (54,726 units), up from 21.4% in the same period of 2025. The pace picked up in the second half: the BEV share reached 38.6% in Q3 and 47.7% in September, according to ACEA data. If October to December stay close to Q3 levels, Portugal will finish the year above 30%.
In ACEA and T&E data, the "hybrids" category combines full hybrids and mild hybrids, neither of which plugs into the grid. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which have larger batteries and charge from the mains, are counted separately. In Q3 2026, hybrids took 34.1% of the EU market and plug-in hybrids 10.8%; in Portugal the figures were 20.3% and 16.8% respectively.
In Q3 2026, the BEV share was 38.6% in Portugal, compared with 14.1% in Spain and just 6.7% in Italy, even though largely the same models are on sale. Taxation is the key difference: in Portugal, fully electric cars are exempt from ISV (vehicle purchase tax) and IUC (annual road tax), which makes a big difference to the price and yearly running costs, especially for company fleets. In Italy and Spain, hybrids remain the go-to choice for first-time buyers of an electrified car.
The main benefit is tax: fully electric cars pay no ISV on purchase and no annual IUC, unlike petrol and diesel models. Direct purchase support is more limited than elsewhere in Europe, where Germany offers a EUR 3,000-6,000 bonus, France has EUR 200-a-month social leasing and Spain runs the EUR 350 million Auto+ programme. In Portugal, check the current Fundo Ambiental conditions at the time of purchase, as they change from year to year.
The supply of used EVs should grow over the next few years as cars sold in 2025 and 2026 come off leasing contracts and company fleets: Portugal registered 54,726 new electric cars in the first nine months of 2026 alone. According to T&E, a home-charged EV costs about half as much to run as a petrol or diesel car. On the other side, new diesel sales have fallen to just 3.5% of the market, which is likely to weigh on diesel resale values.
What this means if you're buying a car in Portugal
The first effect is already visible: with almost half of September's new cars being electric, the used EV market will see a steadily growing supply over the next few years as these cars come off leases and company fleets. If you're shopping for a second-hand EV, more supply usually means more choice and more room to negotiate.
The flip side matters too. If you own a diesel today, expect weaker demand when it's time to sell: new diesel sales in Portugal fell 32.6% year-to-date and now make up just 3.5% of the market.
There is one political wildcard. In the European Parliament, an EPP proposal to soften CO2 targets is on the table, and T&E calculates it would cut the projected 2030 EV share from 47% to around 22%. If the rules change, the flow of affordable EVs could slow down.
October numbers land on 24 November, when ACEA publishes its next registration data. That will show whether September was a peak or the new normal — and whether the EV market share in Portugal for 2026 ends the year above 30%.