European car market: EV surge & data‑privacy concerns

July 2026 saw Hungary’s registrations rise 13 % as electric‑vehicle (EV) sales accelerated, while Greece’s new‑car registrations fell 4.4 % to 8,236 units. A Deloitte Global Automotive Consumer Study of 28,500 respondents highlighted regional variation in battery‑electric demand, growing interest in hybrids, and buyer priorities such as brand reliability, safety‑connected features, service quality and upgradeability.

In the first half of 2026, EU‑wide EV registrations jumped 40.5 % to 1.22 million units, representing 20.7 % of all new cars. Denmark led the transition, with 80 % of its 101,035 newly registered vehicles being electric; Germany and France added 368,006 and 241,562 EVs respectively. Industry officials attribute the rapid uptake to strong incentives and supportive regulation.

At the same time, a Which? study of 14,079 used‑car infotainment systems found that about 80 % of sellers failed to delete personal data before resale, leaving home addresses, contacts, Wi‑Fi passwords and navigation favourites accessible to new owners. The Danish Data Protection Authority reminded owners of their right to request data deletion, and a Mozilla audit of 25 major brands concluded none fully protect user data. The privacy gaps introduce a consumer‑trust challenge that accompanies the broader shift toward electrified vehicles across Europe.