With petrol prices expected to be impacted FIVE times more than charging, the savings made possible by EVs will become decisive for even more car buyers.
So, why would EU lawmakers even consider weakening the targets that increase the supply of cheaper EVs?
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Meanwhile, purchase subsidies are having the desired impact on BEV share in Germany (24% +7pp), Italy (8.6% +3pp) and Spain 9.1% (+2pp).
And the trend is likely to continue if the energy crisis deepens.
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The second reason is pro-electrification policies adopted by governments. In March, battery electric cars had 21% of the EU market, but in France BEVs climbed to a record 28.5% (+10pp) on the back of company car tax reforms and social leasing.
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Germany (+41%), France (53%), Italy (+65%) and Spain (+25%) saw huge EV sales surges – in large part thanks to the availability of more compact, affordable models.
Those models were timed by carmakers to meet their EU car CO2 targets. The targets are working as intended.
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While the overall car market was up, battery electric car sales climbed even more – an increase of 31% compared to Q1 2025.
That's according to our extrapolation of data from countries covering 78% of the EU market.
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Europe’s EV market is BOOMING.
Electric car sales shot up by almost a third in the EU in Q1 2026.
There are 2 reasons why – and they don’t include the energy crisis (yet).
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In seven EU countries, aviation’s climate impact is now higher than that from cars.
The growth in aviation emissions threatens to cancel out gains made elsewhere by EV uptake and jeopardise Europe’s successes.
Check out T&E’s deep dive into the state of European aviation ➡️ bit.ly/4bNNbD0
German truckers face over €1,200 a month in additional diesel costs due to the current volatility in oil prices.
Our new research shows that the crisis has increased fuel cost for diesel trucks in Germany alone more than 2.5 times that of electric trucks.
Explore the research 👉 bit.ly/4m090Uo
NEW: A Meloni-backed biofuels project is under scrutiny following a new investigation.
The investigation carried out by @source-material.org and @politico.com shows that state-backed oil company Eni is potentially harming local farmers in Kenya and threatening food security 👇
bit.ly/4bMU6Ms
NEW: Oil companies are set to make €24 billion in excess profits from European drivers this year.
T&E is calling for a temporary tax on oil companies’ super profits and to use the funds to support Europeans to become less vulnerable to future oil shocks.
Explore the tracker ➡️ bit.ly/4bRY0UE
The technology needed to turn Europe into a self-reliant electrostate exists and is becoming cheaper every day. Now is the time to commit to ambitious policies that will make this vision a reality.
Check out T&E’s 2026 State of European Transport ➡️ bit.ly/4uPSmLi
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☀️ Europe’s clean electricity grid means that charging an EV in the EU is much cleaner than in China.
⛽ Europe now accounts for more than half of the world’s announced e-kerosene production capacity. Of the 64 large-scale projects announced worldwide, 41 are in Europe.
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⚡️Electrifying ports will play a key role in supporting the decarbonisation of the shipping industry – and this is already underway across the continent but especially in Northern Europe.
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Critical EU regulation has allowed Europe to emerge as a leader in some key areas:
🚢 Europe leads the deployment of battery electric ships, leading China on gross tonnage.
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China is going full speed ahead on cleantech and electrification, but Europe has some successes of its own helping it stay in the cleantech race.
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The EU must resist pressure to further weaken regulation at the urging of Europe’s automakers who are more concerned with short-term profits than long-term security and sustainability.
Check out the full 2026 State of European Transport ⬇️
bit.ly/4uPSmLi
As European oil imports are set to rise to €300 billion in 2026, EVs are the super-lever we need to end our oil dependence.
Europe’s Green Deal is a roadmap for the cleantech economy of the future, and the blueprint to enhance European security by reducing dependence on oil imports.
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Meanwhile, transport emissions in Europe have plateaued. Countries with high EV sales like Denmark and the Netherlands are seeing strong cuts in emissions from cars, but slow uptake in countries like Spain is offsetting this reduction.
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The EU and China were level on EV sales share in 2020, until weak CO2 standards in Europe in 2022 saw China pull ahead.
But the good news is 7 out of 10 EVs sold in Europe were actually made in Europe last year. Europe’s 8 million electric cars cut around 46 million barrels of oil in 2025.
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NEW: T&E’s State of European Transport 2026 shows that Europe is just three years behind China on electric vehicles sales.
If Europe maintains its ambition on electric car uptakes, it can close the gap with China before 2030.
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The 'green' fuel market supplying Europe with used cooking oil, appears to be rife with fraud.
An investigation by SVT has uncovered that the world's largest producer of biofuel for aviation, Neste, is likely receiving virgin palm oil instead of recycled frying oil.
Western car manufacturers are making a “profound strategic mistake” as they pull back from EVs just as oil prices are soaring once again.
Prioritising short-term profits selling petrol cars is not a valid business view if you still want to be in the car market in 2035.
bit.ly/4bGj00t
Across the EU, rail travel is gaining momentum. But booking hassle is preventing people from taking trains more often.
The EU has the chance to fix this in the upcoming Single Ticketing Package.
Learn more about why this package is key to getting more Europeans on trains ➡️ bit.ly/4bVYvhq
Indonesian companies targeted in a palm oil fraud case supplied European oil companies, a new investigation shows.
The research carried out by @afp.com and @source-material.org, with support from T&E, should be a wake up call for Europe’s biofuels strategy.
www.france24.com/en/live-news...
The car industry and some EU leaders, including German Chancellor Merz and Italian Prime Minister Meloni, want to slow down the transition to EVs, which will only prolong our dependence on oil.
Explore the analysis ➡️ bit.ly/4bdeYgX
Petrol drivers get hammered at the pump every time we face an oil shock. Electric cars are the best bet to ensure this never happens again.
But in its Automotive Package last December, the EU Commission proposed to weaken the CO2 targets for cars.
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The EU imported 1 billion barrels of oil for cars in 2025, costing €67 billion.
The 8 million EVs already on Europe’s roads saved the bloc a further 46 million barrels of oil imports last year, worth €2.9 billion.
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The difference is even greater for company cars: an extra €89 per month for every petrol car in a company’s fleet.
Lawmakers must stand up for citizens facing rising fuel costs by keeping pressure on carmakers to provide more EVs, which could cut oil imports by €45bn over the next decade.
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NEW ANALYSIS: The Iran conflict is set to hit petrol drivers 5x more than EVs.
T&E analysis finds that fueling the average petrol car is expected to cost €14.20 per 100km, a rise of €3.80.
The average cost of charging an EV would be €6.50 per 100km – an increase of €0.70.
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Join us for T&E's flagship event: The State of European Transport 2026 ✨
Aided by two panel discussions, we will take a look at where Europe stands in the global competition to achieve its climate goals and lead on clean tech.
More details, speaker line-up and registration info 👉 bit.ly/4br9gad
