LONDON, U.K.: Electric vehicle sales across Europe surged sharply in early 2026, as rising fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict pushed drivers to move away from petrol-powered cars.

Registrations of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), a key measure of sales, rose 29.4 percent year-on-year to nearly 560,000 units in the first quarter, according to data released by trade association E-Mobility Europe and research firm New Automotive. In March alone, registrations climbed 51.3 percent to more than 240,000 vehicles across 15 European markets.

The jump in demand comes as petrol prices have hit their highest levels in years following disruptions tied to the war in Iran, prompting consumers to seek more cost-effective and energy-secure alternatives.

Last year, the markets covered in the data accounted for 94 percent of all BEV sales across the European Union and the European Free Trade Association, according to figures from the ACEA auto lobby. Countries in the EFTA align with EU regulations on carbon emissions, reinforcing the region's broader push toward cleaner transport.

"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," E-Mobility Europe Secretary General Chris Heron said in a statement.

The two organizations said the roughly half a million electric vehicles registered in the quarter could cut oil consumption by around two million barrels per year, highlighting the growing link between energy security and the transition to electric mobility.

Growth has been particularly strong in Europe's largest markets. Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Poland, the region's five biggest EV markets, have all recorded increases of more than 40 percent in BEV sales so far this year, the report said.

Electric vehicles also accounted for a rising share of overall car sales. In March, BEVs made up an estimated 21.2 percent of all new car registrations across the EU and EFTA, signaling accelerating adoption despite broader economic uncertainty.

Britain, Europe's second-largest EV market after Germany, has also seen steady growth. In a separate report earlier this month, New Automotive said BEV registrations in the country rose 12.8 percent in the first quarter, with electric cars accounting for 22.5 percent of all new vehicle sales.