Tesla’s September comeback in Europe has continued into September, and the latest figures show the brand growing faster than an electric vehicle (EV) market that is itself booming.
Earlier this month, we told you about Tesla’s big September gains in markets like France and Sweden, and how the Model Y became Europe’s best-selling car for the month. Now the full market-wide picture has arrived from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
Tesla’s September by the numbers
Across the European Union, EFTA and the U.K., Tesla registered 68,776 vehicles in September, up 72.5% from 39,866 a year earlier. That gave it 5.0% of the total market, compared with 3.2% last September.
In the EU alone, Tesla’s registrations climbed 78.6% to 45,866, good for a 4.7% share.
Tesla also finished ahead of BYD for the month, as the Chinese automaker registered 49,953 vehicles across the wider region.
Year-to-date, Tesla is at 260,575 registrations in the EU, EFTA and U.K., a 50% increase from 173,719. BYD still leads that race with 283,997 after a 134.6% jump.
Tesla vs BYD registrations, EU + EFTA + UK
Units, September and January–September 2026
Bar length: units registered (scale 0–300,000). Source: ACEA, Oct. 22, 2026
EVs take nearly a third of the EU market
The bigger story is how quickly the EU is going electric. According to ACEA’s September report, battery-electric registrations in the EU soared 72.9% to 290,117, capturing 29.9% of all new cars registered last month.
Germany led the way with 88,599 EVs, a 94.7% gain, while France more than doubled its total to 65,243, up 107.5%.
Through the first nine months, 1,931,465 battery-electric cars have been registered in the EU, lifting their share to 22.7% from 16.1% a year ago.
Gas-powered cars continues to lose ground, falling to 21.2% of the market from 27.7%. Hybrids remain the most popular choice at 36.3%.
Interestingly, the overall EU car market grew just 5.7% year-to-date, meaning nearly all of the momentum is coming from electrified vehicles.
With one quarter left in 2026, Tesla will need another strong finish to catch BYD. At this point last year, Tesla was more than 50,000 registrations ahead of its Chinese rival in the region.
Related Articles:
- Tesla Sales Rebound Continues in Europe With Big September Gains
- Tesla Model Y Is Europe’s Best-Selling Car in September as Model 3 Takes Second
- Tesla sales surge across Europe in May
- Tesla’s European Sales Slide Continues as BYD Surges Ahead in January Registrations
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