Mobia’s analysis of the first quarter of car registrations in Belgium points to a structural shift that goes beyond monthly fluctuations: the private buyer – and Tesla – has found its way back to the car market. Electric cars are slowly gaining traction in the second-hand market, but an oil price spike effect has not yet been clearly observed.
The Belgian automotive market entered a new phase in the first quarter of 2026. Three structural trends define the picture: private buyers are returning to the new-car market at a pace not seen in years, the electrification of that market has entered a consolidation phase, and the used-car segment is quietly becoming the main channel for privately bought electric vehicles.
Saturated fleets
The headline number from Febiacs’s first quarter data? Individual buyers accounted for 48.8% of new car registrations, up 7.1% from the full-year 2025 figure (41.7%). The professional segment, which has long dominated, fell to 51.2% (58.3% last year).
Two converging forces explain the shift. On the one hand, the market is witnessing a gradual normalization of private purchasing after several turbulent years marked by inflation, supply disruptions, and shifting fiscal rules. On the other hand, fleets are facing saturation.
In preparation for the reshaped fiscal system, which took effect at the beginning of the year, the professional segment was largely renewed over the past few years. These cars are not yet due for replacement.
Two markets, two powertrains
But, as usual, what sets private and professional buyers apart is what they are actually buying. Fully electric vehicles dominate fleet purchasing, accounting for 59.5% of all professional registrations, with gasoline relegated to a supporting role (26.9%) and hybrids – both plug-in and conventional – serving as transitional options.
The private market tells a completely different story. Gasoline accounts for 62.8% of private new car registrations. Non-plug-in hybrids (HEVs) have become the preferred electrified alternative, accounting for 20.3% of private sales. Full battery-electric cars account for just 8.7% of individual purchases. The contrast remains stark, and it goes directly to affordability and pragmatism.
Used EVs: the next chapter?
In the wake of the energy crisis, it is of particular interest to zoom in on the second-hand market for electric vehicles, where pricing is a much lower hurdle but favorable running costs are appealing amid high fuel prices.
With 9,997 units sold during the first quarter, their volume rose (spectacularly) 38.9% year-on-year. However, their overall market share remains modest at 5.5% (up from 4.6%).
In contrast to the Netherlands, where private buyer interest in BEVs has soared by 50% due to the Iran crisis, the effect remains much more latent, while the used EV buyer profile is notably different in Belgium. The market is almost evenly split between private buyers (45%) and companies (55%).
Mind that across all powertrains, 90.7% of used car purchases are made by private individuals. The contrast shows how battery power still has a long way to go. As for regions, used BEV sales grew fastest in Brussels (56.7%). Still, Mobia describes the used car segment as “the next engine of the green transition.”
Tesla reigns
Across the new-car market as a whole, electrified powertrains (HEV, PHEV, and BEV combined) showed a slight dip of 2.9 percentage points (compared to the full-year 2025 figure), with the BEV share holding flat at 34.7%.
The biggest loser is the plug-in hybrid. PHEV share dropped to just 5.8%, continuing a decline that began when fiscal incentives for company car PHEVs were tightened. Diesel continued its structural erosion, now standing at 2.3%.
As for car models, the BMW X1 remains the overall winner across all powertrains, with 4,341 units. It is also the leading model in the professional market. The Dacia Sandero follows second (2,840 units), but leads in the private market. The Volkswagen T-Roc secures third place overall.
As for electric cars, any Tesla shame over Elon Musk’s political controversies has clearly withered. The Model Y sold 557 units more than the BMW iX1 during the first quarter of 2026. Also on the second-hand market, Tesla takes the top spots in the sales charts with Model 3 and Model Y.
