Germany leads European auto market as Turkey sees sales decline

Germany remains Europe's largest automotive market, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) for the first eight months of 2026. Germany led with 1.97 million vehicles sold, followed by the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Spain.

Turkey holds the position of the sixth-largest automotive market in Europe with 564,241 vehicles sold. However, the Turkish market experienced a 13.78 percent contraction, marking the sharpest decline among Europe's ten largest markets, contrasting with a 5.8 percent increase in total new car sales across Europe.

The electric vehicle (EV) sector also shows diverging trends. While European battery-electric vehicle sales grew by 38.8 percent to reach 2.13 million units, Turkey's EV sales declined by 12 percent. Despite this drop, Turkey remains the sixth-largest EV market in Europe with 105,255 units sold, representing approximately 18.7 percent of its total passenger car sales.