BRUSSELS: Demand for electrified vehicles continued to drive growth in Europe’s car market in August, offsetting a steep drop in petrol and diesel sales, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said Thursday.

Registrations, a proxy for sales, also helped Chinese automakers expand their presence across the European Union, Britain and the European Free Trade Association.

Total new car registrations rose 5.3% to 832,637 vehicles, according to the group, known as ACEA.

The association said growth in EU registrations was supported by strong demand for electrified vehicles, aided by market support measures and a broader range of models available to consumers. That came despite higher energy costs and ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, it said.

Registrations of battery-electric cars climbed 52.2%, while plug-in hybrids rose 13.5% and hybrids 3.4%. Together, the three categories accounted for more than 73% of all new vehicles.

Petrol car registrations fell 23.5%, and diesel registrations dropped 23.1%.

Among established automakers, registrations at Renault and Volkswagen slid between 3.6% and 4.4%, while Stellantis gained 3.5%. Their combined market share fell to 49.8% from 52%.

Chinese automakers, meanwhile, posted sharp gains. BYD, Chery and Leapmotor sold roughly two to three times as many vehicles as a year earlier. Geely’s sales rose more than 25%, and SAIC’s rose more than 32%.

The combined market share of Chinese car brands increased to 11.3% from 7.1%.

ACEA’s earlier figures show the shift toward electrified vehicles has built through 2026. Through June, battery-electric cars held a 20.7% share of the EU market, up from 15.6% a year earlier, while hybrid-electric models led with a 37.3% share and plug-in hybrids captured 9.8%. New EU car registrations rose 5.7% in the first half of the year.

The association attributed the first-half performance primarily to market support measures. In the first quarter, it credited new and revised tax benefits and incentive schemes across major European countries for bolstering consumer activity.

In the first half, battery-electric registrations grew strongly in several major markets, including France (up 62.9%) and Germany (up 48%).