Q1: ACEA reports 40% growth in electric trucks in the EU, highlights strong e-bus market
European customers are once again purchasing more buses and trucks, according to the latest commercial vehicle registration figures for the first quarter of 2026 published by the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA). Across all drive types, the EU market grew by 10.7 per cent to 81,766 trucks (over 3.5 tonnes) and by 24.5 per cent to 10,964 buses. ACEA describes this as a 'recovery from a low base' for trucks and 'robust dynamics' for buses.
What is happening
At the same time, the share of rechargeable electric vehicles in the mix continues to rise. However, ACEA notes: "progress remains too slow, with market uptake still constrained by insufficient enabling conditions". In the bus sector, new registrations of electric buses grew by 36 per cent in the first quarter, increasing their market share from 20 per cent to 21.8 per cent. Italy, the second-largest market in terms of total registrations, recorded particularly strong growth (+161.2 per cent year-on-year).
Why this matters for transport
Germany, however, lagged behind - more on this below. Registrations of diesel buses also rose, according to ACEA (+24.8 per cent year-on-year), reaching a market share of 65.7 per cent between January and March. In contrast, hybrid bus registrations continued to decline (-10.6 per cent), accounting for just one in every 20 new registrations (5.1 per cent market share). Before examining the country rankings in detail, a brief clarification of terms: In the truck sector, ACEA divides its statistics into different weight categories.
What to watch next
The association classifies trucks weighing between 3.5 and 16 tonnes as medium-duty trucks, and those over 16 tonnes as heavy-duty trucks - anything under 3.5 tonnes falls into the van category, which is not covered here. For buses, ACEA does not distinguish by weight classes; all vehicles intended for passenger transport over 3.5 tonnes are recorded. Additionally, the association does not differentiate between battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, instead grouping them simply as 'electrically chargeable'.