New passenger car registrations in Bulgaria up 9.8% in January – August 2026

There were 35 573 new passenger car registrations in Bulgaria in January to August 2026, an increase of 9.8 per cent compared with January to August 2025, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, ACEA, said on September 24.

Of the new passenger car registrations in Bulgaria in January – August 2026, a total of 26 239 were petrol cars, 3135 diesel, 2939 battery-electric, 2328 hybrid-electric and 883 plug-in hybrid.

A total of 49 were in the category “other”, which includes fuel-cell  electric vehicles, natural gas  vehicles, LPG, E85/ethanol, and other fuels.

New EU car registrations increased by 5.3 per cent year-to-date, against a backdrop of rising energy prices and persistent geopolitical uncertainty, ACEA said.

Demand for a range of electrified vehicles remained strong, driven by market support measures and a broader model offering, the association said.

Hybrid-electric vehicles ranked as the most popular powertrain choice amongst buyers, while battery-electric cars accounted for 21.7 per cent of new EU car registrations. Meanwhile, plug-in hybrids captured 10 per cent of the EU market.

Up until August 2026, battery-electric cars held a 21.7 per cent share of the EU market, up from 15.8 per cent a year earlier.

Hybrid-electric car registrations captured 36.6 per cent of the market, remaining the preferred choice among EU consumers. At the same time, the combined market share of petrol and diesel cars fell to 29 per cent, compared with 37.5 per cent a year earlier, ACEA said.