With diesel prices at an all-time high, electrification of vans, trucks, and buses is making real progress, according to the latest ACEA figures.
But not all vehicle segments and countries are moving at the same pace. Belgium is lagging, and the truck market is too.
Regardless of fuel type, the commercial vehicle market performed relatively well during the first three quarters of 2026. Although the van market hasn’t grown compared to 2025, it is stable despite a difficult economic environment. Truck registrations recovered from a slow 2025 market, up 7.5%. The bus market is up 15.2% compared to the first three quarters of 2025.
Electrification: vans and buses up, trucks lag behind
For vans, trucks, and buses alike, European buyers still prefer diesel. But there are big differences. While all three vehicle types show healthy growth in electrified registrations (electric and plug-in hybrid), trucks still have a low share.
For vans, ACEA records a 38.2% increase in electrified registrations, to 151,691 units, representing a 14.1% share. This means electrified vans have more than doubled their market share compared to 2024, up from 5.7%. Diesel remains the fuel of choice for 78.1% of European van buyers.
The truck market is completely different: 91.7% of newly registered trucks still stop at the diesel pump. The electrified segment shows strong growth, with a 49.8% increase in registrations, but it still accounts for only 5.3% of the market.
If this trend continues, truck manufacturers will struggle to meet their 2030 EU target of reducing fleet CO2 emissions by 45%.
In the EU bus market, the situation is completely different. With 58.4% of new buses registered in the first nine months of 2026 having diesel engines, this is the most electrified segment of the commercial vehicle market, with a 26.4% share. EV registrations have surged by 37.6%. Hybrid (non-plug-in) buses account for 6.9% of the market.
Belgium vs. the Netherlands: 0-1
Behind the European figures, individual countries tell a different story, with very different electrification speeds. The best example is the difference in electrified van registrations between Belgium and the Netherlands.
While registrations of electric and plug-in hybrid vans in Belgium are up 50.5% to 6,171 units (from 4,101 in the first nine months of 2025), their market share remains relatively low. 11.7% of newly registered vans in Belgium are now electric, compared to the EU average of 14.1%.
In the Netherlands, new legislation introducing zero-emission zones in several urban areas has had an effect. No fewer than 84.3% of vans registered between January and September 2026 are electric. This means 14,556 of 17,266 total registrations were electric.
Belgian electric bus and truck market struggling
In the Belgian electrified truck market, the situation is even deteriorating. 200 electric trucks registered year-to-date, down 14.2% from 233 units year-over-year. After early adopters and companies took advantage of government support for a limited number of trucks, further adoption has slowed.
For buses, the situation is even more remarkable, with a 71.4% drop from 685 to 196 units. But this figure needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
Large orders from Belgian regional public transport operators, like De Lijn, strongly influence electrified registration figures. The significant drop therefore does not automatically indicate a failing market for electric buses.
