Portugal's car sales surge in August as electric vehicles reach a quarter of the market
Portugal registered 17,209 new vehicles in August, up 11.3% year-on-year, with electric cars now accounting for more than a quarter of new light passenger car sales this year.
Portugal's automotive market posted strong growth in August, with 17,209 new vehicles registered — an 11.3% increase compared with the same month last year, according to figures from ACAP, the Portuguese automobile association.
From January to August, a total of 197,632 new vehicles were registered nationwide, up 10.3% year-on-year. Light passenger vehicles led the way with 169,323 units registered over the eight months, a 9.5% rise, while August alone saw 14,086 new light passenger cars registered, up 8.4%.
The light commercial vehicle segment also grew, with 2,449 units sold in August, a 21.8% annual increase, bringing the year-to-date total to 22,299 units, up 9.8%. The heavy vehicle segment, covering both passenger and goods transport, expanded even faster, with August sales of 674 vehicles marking a 45.9% jump, and 6,010 units registered over the eight-month period, a 39.6% rise.
Electric vehicles driving growth
The expansion has been fuelled largely by rising demand for electric cars. Through August, 75.6% of newly registered light passenger vehicles ran on alternative energy sources, with electric and hybrid models leading the trend. Pure electric vehicles made up 26.8% of new car registrations over the eight months, a share that climbed to 36.1% in August alone.
In August, 10,391 new electric, plug-in and hybrid electric light passenger cars were registered, a 20.5% increase from the same month last year. Between January and August, sales of electrified light passenger vehicles totalled 116,679 units, up 29.4% compared with the same period in 2025.
Sales of purely electric models rose 65.2% in August alone, with 5,079 new registrations. Over the eight-month period, 45,388 new electric light passenger vehicles were registered, a 43.1% increase, giving electric cars a 26.8% share of the overall light passenger vehicle market.
