Portugal's automotive sector shows strong recovery with rising electric vehicle sales

Portugal's automotive sector has seen a strong recovery, with sales accelerating in August and 17,209 motor vehicles registered, 11.3% more than in the same month in 2025.

According to data released by ACAP – Associação Automóvel de Portugal, between January and August 2026 a total of 197,632 new vehicles were put on the road, representing growth of 10.3% compared with the same period a year earlier.

Up to August, registrations of light passenger vehicles totalled 169,323 units, a rise of 9.5% on the same period in 2025. In monthly terms, 14,086 new light passenger cars were registered, 8.4% more than in August 2025.

In the light commercial vehicle segment, sales in August posted a positive year-on-year increase of 21.8%, with 2,449 units registered. Cumulatively, the market reached 22,299 units, which represented an increase of 9.8% on the same period in 2025.

As for the market for heavy vehicles, which covers both passenger and goods transport, August 2026 saw an increase of 45.9% compared with the same month in 2025, with 674 vehicles in this category sold.

Up until August, registrations in this category totalled 6,010 units, representing market growth of 39.6% in the same period in 2025.

Demand for new vehicles has been driven above all by the steadily growing interest in electric cars.

According to ACAP figures, up to August 75.6% of newly registered light passenger vehicles were powered by alternative energy sources, with electric and hybrid models standing out. Around 26.8% of new cars were electric — a share that was higher in August, when electric cars accounted for 36.1% of sales.

In August 2026 alone, 10,391 new electric, plug-in and hybrid electric light passenger cars were registered in Portugal, an increase of 20.5% on the same month of the previous year.

Between January and August 2026, sales of electrified light passenger vehicles (electric, plug-in and hybrid) totalled 116,679 units, an increase of 29.4% compared with the same period in 2025.

Looking only at pure electric models in August, sales rose by 65.2% compared with the same month in 2025, with 5,079 new light passenger vehicles registered.

Over the eight-month period as a whole, sales of new electric light passenger vehicles increased by 43.1%, with 45,388 units registered, giving them a market share of 26.8% of all new light passenger vehicles registered in that period.