In May 2026, Poland alongside Latvia was one of the EU countries where interest in electric-powered cars declined. In the previous month, 2,015 new electric cars were registered in our country, 28.5% fewer than in May 2025. The share of this type of vehicle fell to 4% of the market – according to data from the Polish Automotive Industry Association.
Do Poles dislike electric cars?
The decline in interest in buying electric cars is linked to the lack of subsidies for purchasing such vehicles. At the beginning of the year, the “NaszEauto” program ended due to lack of funds. What happened in May is a kind of indicator that Poles are moving away from electric cars. It is not just a month‑to‑month drop. For the first time since November 2024, the number of electric cars registered in a single month was lower on an annual basis.
As a result, in May, Poland was surpassed in electric vehicle registrations by Bulgaria and Romania. Only Croatia performed worse.
Poles prefer hybrids
The fact that the number of electric car registrations is falling does not mean that Poles are turning away from electromobility. Hybrids, especially plug‑in types that allow battery charging from a socket, are chosen much more often in Poland. Hybrids, both conventional and so‑called soft hybrids, account for 51% of all newly registered cars in Poland. Higher shares are recorded only in Romania, Estonia, Greece, Lithuania, and Hungary.
In May, HEV and MHEV hybrids were registered in total 24,818, 12.1% more than the previous year. Gasoline cars reached 14,095 units, almost the same as the year before. Diesels fell to 3,020 units, a 16.5% year‑over‑year decline.
Europe is following a different path
Across the EU from the beginning of 2026 to the end of May, the number of newly registered cars was 4% higher than in the corresponding period the previous year. The most popular cars were, as in Poland, hybrids (37.8% market share). That was 1,795,071 units. The biggest increase in interest for this type of vehicle occurred in Italy (+24.5%) and Spain (+19.5%). Plug‑in hybrids reached a 9.7% market share. That was 460,217 units.
Electric‑powered cars accounted for 20% of the EU market, a 15.3% year‑over‑year increase. In total, from the beginning of 2026 to the end of May, 950,521 new battery‑electric cars were registered across the EU. The biggest increase in interest for this type of car occurred in Italy (+75.7%), France (+55.4%) and Germany (+40.9%).
Gasoline and diesel cars accounted for 30.1% of the market share, a decline compared to the first five months of 2025 when their share was 38%.
Internal‑combustion‑engine cars were registered in all EU countries at 1,065,071 from the beginning of 2026 to the end of May. The market share of gasoline cars fell to 22.4% from 28.5% recorded in May 2025. Diesel cars also saw a decline to 7.6% from 9.5% a year earlier.
See also: Are electric cars more harmful than combustion cars? New EU Commission restrictions. Expert: “Everything for improving air quality”
