New passenger car registrations in Bulgaria up 5.3% in January – May 2026
There were 20 500 new passenger car registrations in Bulgaria in January to May 2026, an increase of 5.3 per cent compared with January to May 2025, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, ACEA, said on June 23.
Of the new passenger car registrations in Bulgaria in January – May 2026, a total of 14 193 were petrol cars, 2152 diesel, 1565 battery-electric, 1219 hybrid-electric and 352 plug-in hybrid.
A total of 299 were in the category “other”, which includes fuel-cell electric vehicles, natural gas vehicles, LPG, E85/ethanol, and other fuels.
ACEA said that in May 2026 year-to-date (YTD), new EU car registrations increased by four per cent, indicating a strong start to the year amid a backdrop of persistent geopolitical headwinds weighing on the outlook.
The market continued to benefit from robust consumer demand for a range of electrified technologies across key European markets, sustained by new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes, the association said.
Hybrid-electric vehicles remained the most popular powertrain choice among buyers, while battery-electric cars accounted for one in five registrations. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids captured 9.7 per cent of the EU market.
Up until May 2026, battery-electric cars accounted for 20 per cent of the EU market, an increase from 15.3 per cent a year earlier.
Hybrid-electric car registrations captured 37.8 per cent of the market, remaining the preferred choice among consumers in the EU. Moreover, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars declined to 30.1 per cent, down from 38 per cent.
