BRUSSELS: Data released by Brussels-based environmental advocacy group ⁠Transport & Environment showed that 1.64 million electric vehicles were sold in the European Union between January and August 2026, marking a 45 percent increase from the same period a year earlier.

Electric vehicles accounted for 22 percent of total EU car sales during the period, up six percentage points year on year, according to the data.

Transport & Environment described 2026 as a “pivotal year for the availability of electric vehicles”, noting that the number of electric models available in the European market increased by 50 percent in a single year as automakers expand their line-ups to meet EU emissions targets.

European manufacturers accounted for around 60 percent of available electric vehicle models, adding 16 models during the first half of 2026. Chinese automakers accounted for 21 percent of the available models and introduced 11 new models during the period.

Automakers are also expanding their range of more affordable electric vehicles. Volkswagen, for example, has introduced models including the all-electric Polo as it seeks to narrow its emissions-compliance gap and avoid potential fines.

The data also highlighted the impact of higher fuel prices on drivers of conventional internal-combustion vehicles amid the conflict in the Middle East.

Diesel prices recorded the sharpest increase, rising 38 percent since the start of the US-Iran war, according to the group. A 50-litre tank now costs motorists around €30 ($34) more, it said.