European car market grapples with data‑privacy gaps as EV registrations surge

A British consumer study by Which? tested 14,079 used‑car infotainment systems and found that about 80 % of sellers did not delete personal data before resale. Home addresses, contact lists, Wi‑Fi passwords and navigation favourites often remain stored, allowing previous owners to unlock or track the vehicle. The Danish Data Protection Authority stresses that owners have a right to request deletion, while the Mozilla Foundation’s 2023 audit of 25 major brands concluded none fully protect user data.

At the same time, electric‑vehicle registrations in the European Union rose 40.5 % in the first half of 2026, reaching 1.22 million units and accounting for 20.7 % of all new cars. Denmark leads the region, with 80 % of its 101,035 newly registered cars being electric, while Germany and France recorded 368,006 and 241,562 new EVs respectively. Industry officials credit strong incentives and a supportive regulatory framework for the rapid uptake.