Sales of electric cars with a starting price below €25,000 are forecast to be seven times higher in 2026 than in 2024, according to Transport & Environment (T&E). That is a projection—not a final count of 2026 sales—and it points to a wider range of lower-priced models reaching European buyers. The threshold describes a model’s starting price, not necessarily the amount a buyer will pay on the road.
Are affordable electric cars becoming more common in Europe?
Yes, according to T&E’s market figures and forecast, although inexpensive electric cars remain a limited part of the available lineup. In its October 5, 2026 report, the transport advocacy organisation says nearly 40 new electric models launched in the first half of 2026. It expects about 60 launches across the full year—nearly four times the average of about 15 a year from 2021 through 2025.
T&E also expects the number of electric models starting below €25,000 to double during 2026. By year-end, it projects 16 such battery-electric vehicle (BEV) models, including four starting below €20,000. The report says there are still substantially more low-priced combustion models. Model availability and pricing differ across European markets.
The broader market is growing too: T&E reports 1.64 million BEVs sold in the EU from January through August 2026, 45% more than in the same period of 2025, citing ACEA registration data. That figure describes the overall BEV market, not sales of cars below €25,000.
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Which electric cars cost less than €25,000?
The T&E report gives a count of models expected to start below the threshold, but it does not provide a model-by-model shopping list or country-by-country transaction prices. Its sevenfold sales forecast therefore should not be read as a guarantee that a particular car is available near that price where you live.
A starting price can differ from the final on-road cost because of country taxes, incentives, trim, options, delivery charges, and local availability. Before comparing cars, check the current local price and delivery timing, then compare the vehicle’s size and cargo space, usable range and energy use, charging speed and connector compatibility, warranty, and total cost for your charging pattern.
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Why are more cheap electric cars coming to market?
T&E attributes the expanding lineup to European Union car CO₂ targets and the incentives those targets create for manufacturers to bring more BEVs to market. That is the organisation’s analysis of the cause, rather than a neutral finding established by the sales figures alone. T&E cars director Lucien Mathieu said: “The EU’s car targets are expanding consumer choice, bringing down the cost of going electric and giving European manufacturers a chance to compete in the global EV race.”
There are signs of demand for particular new models, but one example should not be treated as a market-wide measure. T&E’s October 2026 press release, citing Electrive-linked reporting, says the Volkswagen ID. Polo had more than 40,000 orders and a 10-month waitlist. That is a reported figure for that model, not evidence that every lower-priced EV faces the same demand or delay.
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What does the sevenfold forecast mean—and what does it not establish?
The comparison is between projected 2026 sales of models with a starting price below €25,000 and 2024 sales in that category. T&E published the estimate on October 5, 2026; it is not an observed final result for 2026. The reviewed report materials do not provide the detailed model-level forecasting method or independent validation of the sevenfold estimate, so it is best understood as T&E’s projection.
The report also estimates that, as of September 14, 2026, electric cars charged at home cost 50% less to run than petrol and diesel cars. This is a running-cost estimate with a home-charging qualifier, not a universal claim about lifetime ownership costs. Results for an individual driver depend on charging access and prices, fuel costs, mileage, and the vehicle being compared.
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Will EU rules affect the availability of affordable EVs?
T&E warns that weakening the EU’s future 2030–2035 framework could slow the pipeline of affordable models. To illustrate the risk, its report compares policy scenarios: it projects a 22% BEV market share in 2030 under the weaker-target scenario it discusses, versus 47% under the European Commission proposal, and says affordable-model sales would be nearly three-quarters lower in that scenario. These are T&E scenario results, not enacted outcomes or guaranteed forecasts of what the market will do.
The distinction matters for consumers: the report presents current model expansion as evidence of a growing choice, while its claims about the effect of future target changes are policy analysis. Neither the projected sales growth nor the scenario comparison settles how many models will be sold in a particular country or what they will cost buyers there.
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