Electric car sales in Catalonia grow by 100%

Electric cars finally seem to have found the necessary momentum in Catalonia. According to data from Faconauto and ANFAC, registrations of electric vehicles this past October have grown by 100.52% compared to the month of October in 2025. In the year-to-date total, with data from the months of October to November 2026, the growth percentage stands at a surprising 57.71% compared to the 2025 figures. In other words, throughout 2026 more than 22,000 new electric cars have been registered in Catalonia, and the market trend suggests that this year the psychological barrier of 25,000 new electric cars sold in Catalan territory will be surpassed.

The good pace of electric car registrations in Catalonia is no exception in Europe, and is part of a considerable increase in zero-emission car registrations on the Old Continent. However, it should be noted that in the Catalan case, the best-selling electric cars have been urban electrics manufactured in China, among which the new BYD Atto 2. 

This spectacular growth in sales and registrations of electric cars at a European level is due, among other factors, to the rising cost of fossil fuel, the arrival of affordable electric vehicles (around or below 20,000 euros), and the security that these zero-emission cars represent in an still changing regulatory environmental framework. However, electric cars still have room for growth if manufacturers and institutions do the homework requested by buyers, which is synthesized by the arrival of new affordable models, more competitive ranges, and the improvement of the charging network.

Hybrids are not growing as much, but they are holding steady

Registrations of hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles, on the other hand, seem to be suffering a cooling compared to the 2025 figures. Conventional hybrid cars registered in Catalonia during the month of October have fallen by -4.74% compared to the month of October of the previous year, and in the year-on-year record, the growth in registrations of self-charging conventional hybrid vehicles is 'only' 14.95%. Although the growth in registrations of conventional hybrid vehicles is not so spectacular, it is worth noting that during the first ten months of the year, a total of 47,776 vehicles with conventional hybrid mechanics have been registered, and surely this 2026 the Catalan market will close by exceeding the figure of 50,000 units sold, which will represent a new historic high in the history of Catalonia.

Electric hybrids, on the other hand, have grown by 18.89% in registrations in Catalonia during the month of October, and consolidate a growth of 28.05% in the year-on-year record. Throughout the first ten months of the year, 16,321 plug-in hybrid or PHEV cars have been registered, and if it continues at the same pace during the last two months of the year, sales of plug-in hybrid cars could exceed 20,000 units registered in Catalonia.

Historic fall of diesel and gasoline cars

The growth in registrations of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles has been countered by the decline in sales of cars with diesel and gasoline combustion engines. In the case of diesel, during the month of October, a drop in registrations of -45.37% was recorded in Catalonia, and the year-to-date total shows a decline of -46.20%. To get an idea of the diesel's descent into hell, it suffices to explain that between the months of January and October, 4,043 diesel cars were registered out of a total of more than 120,000 units registered during this period in Catalonia.

Cars with gasoline engines, on the other hand, have also fallen by -30.03% in Catalonia during the month of October and have accumulated a drop of -18.70% during the year 2026. If we add up the sales of diesel and gasoline cars, we can confirm that sales of combustion cars in our region only account for 16% of total new registrations.