Wave of affordable electric cars is boosting consumers' choice: sales of sub-€25,000 models set to rise sevenfold

European drivers are gaining access to a rapidly expanding range of more affordable electric cars, protecting drivers from Europe’s costly oil dependence. T&E’s latest EV progress report shows that the EU car CO₂ targets are delivering as electric car sales hit record highs in the first half of 2026. Sales of models with a starting price below €25,000 are set to rise sevenfold in 2026 compared to 2024. T&E warns that weakening regulation would halt the ramp-up of small affordable EVs and compromise European carmakers’ ability to compete in the global EV race.

The report shows that the regulation is delivering and bringing affordable models to the market. Almost 40 new electric models were launched in the first half of 2026, taking the number of mass market BEVs to more than 150. About 60 new models are expected to be released by the end of 2026. This is nearly 4 times more than the average 15 new models per year over the period 2021-2025. At the same time, the consumer appetite for electric models starting below €25k is finally addressed with a doubling of the number of models available. As a result, sales of electric models starting below €25k are set to increase by a factor of 7 in 2026 compared to 2024.

Lucien Mathieu, cars director at T&E, said: “European drivers are finally seeing more of the smaller and more affordable electric cars they have been waiting for. The oil crisis has further fuelled the rush by European consumers for affordable small electric cars. VW’s ID. Polo was quickly sold out, with over 40,000 orders and a 10-month waitlist. European car makers were complaining about the lack of demand for a long time. Now we can clearly see: The issue was not the demand, but what they had to offer. The consumer’s appetite for small affordable electric cars proves the car makers' claims wrong.”

The report shows that electric cars also offer lower running costs and protection from rapidly increasing fuel prices. The oil price shock has cost EU road users €53 billion. As of mid-September, fueling a 50-litre tank of diesel costs €30 more than before the Iran war. Switching to an electric car at the beginning of the crisis would have saved around €350 in running costs by mid-September.

The combination of a wave in new electric models and high energy prices is leading electric car sales in the EU to reach record levels in 2026. A total of 1.64 million battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) were sold between January and August, 45% more than in the same period last year. BEVs outsold pure petrol cars across a full quarter for the first time ever in the second quarter of 2026, achieving a 22% share. All European carmakers are expected to achieve compliance with 2025–2027 targets which are the driver of the new wave of electric car models. During the period of flat targets between 2021 and 2024, manufacturers had limited incentives to introduce affordable models.

Lucien Mathieu said: “The EU’s car targets are expanding consumer choice, bringing down the cost of going electric and giving European manufacturers a chance to compete in the global EV race. Weakening the 2030 target now would choke off affordable models by nearly three-quarters just as they are reaching the market and lock millions across Europe into debilitating oil dependency.”