EV Index: Germany sees record EV interest

Germany has posted its strongest quarter in the Sophus3 EV Index in more than a year, driven by improving consumer interest.

The latest index, which aggregates data on consumer interest, affordability/choice and infrastructure to give an ‘EV readiness’ score by country, shows record numbers of European car buyers researching electric vehicles in Q2, with all EU5 markets improving.

Every market tracked by the Sophus3 EV Index improved in Q2 2026, with the highest gains concentrated in the region’s largest markets. Germany climbed from 68 to 76 compared with Q1, its strongest quarter in over a year, while France rose from 64 to 70 and the UK from 59 to 67. The improvements were driven by consumer interest, which rose in every market we track, pointing to record numbers of buyers now actively researching electric vehicles.

Germany’s consumer interest score rose from 51 to 63, coinciding with the government opening the application portal in May for its new EV subsidy programme, worth up to €6000 for lower-income households and applied retroactively to any vehicle registered since 1 January.

France’s consumer interest rose ten points, and its infrastructure score, already the strongest of the EU5, extended its lead further, up from 100 to 111. The UK saw consumer interest, affordability and infrastructure all improving together, closing some of the gap to the leading markets.

Affordability and infrastructure

Away from Germany, France and the UK, the ‘affordability and choice’ pillar was more mixed. Italy’s affordability score fell sharply, from 64 to 53, the steepest decline of any market on any pillar this quarter and a reminder that Italy’s overall progress remains fragile. Spain’s affordability was flat, with its overall index inching up just three points.

Charging infrastructure was broadly stable across most of the markets we track this quarter. The Netherlands remains the outlier on this measure, with an index score of 114 this quarter, comfortably the highest in the index, and further evidence that in the most mature EV markets, charging provision is no longer a constraint on adoption.

EV Index Q2 2026

Figures in brackets show change from Q1 2026

Market summary

Germany 76 (+8) delivers its strongest quarter in over a year. The May launch of the new federal subsidy portal appears to have converted policy anticipation into demand, with consumer interest up 12 points. Affordability and infrastructure both edged higher, pointing to a broad-based, not just policy-driven, recovery.

France 70 (+6) continues a steady climb, led by a ten-point rise in consumer interest and further gains in an already-strong infrastructure score. Affordability held flat, suggesting the improvement is being driven by demand rather than pricing.

UK 67 (+8) posts one of its most balanced quarters, with consumer interest, affordability and infrastructure all improving together. It remains behind the leading EU5 markets but is closing the gap.

Spain 39 (+3) and Italy 32 (+1) both improved, but only marginally. Italy’s affordability score fell 11 points, its sharpest decline of any pillar this quarter, and a sign that recent gains in consumer interest are not yet being matched by more competitively priced electric models reaching Italian buyers. The exception is the Chinese Leapmotor T03 electric city car, which has helped build demand in Italy this year, but also stirred controversy after dropping in price dramatically – in some cases as low as €4900 – thanks to state subsidies and manufacturer discounts. It has sparked intense public debate over taxpayer-funded incentives largely benefiting a vehicle produced overseas through Leapmotor’s partnership with Stellantis.

Netherlands 114 (+28) remains the highest-scoring market by some distance, rebounding after a soft Q1 in which a change to Dutch company-car tax rules pulled EV demand forward into late 2025. Its charging infrastructure score of 287 continues to run far ahead of every other market, underlining that the Dutch market’s dynamics are now quite different from the rest of the EU5.

Outlook

The story of Q2 2026 is consumer interest, and specifically how sensitive it is to the timing of policy and subsidy announcements. Germany’s data shows how the opening an application portal can convert months of dormant demand into research activity, a pattern worth watching as France, Italy and Spain consider their own incentives.

Charging infrastructure, meanwhile, is increasingly a solved problem in the largest markets. It now exceeds what current EV fleets require, and the pillar is moving from expansion to optimisation. For markets such as Italy and Spain, where affordability remains the binding constraint, the lesson is that consumer curiosity alone is not enough: closing the price gap with equivalent petrol and diesel models will be what determines whether this quarter’s momentum builds into a sustained trend.

The EV Index from Sophus3 provides an objective measure of the readiness of the vehicle market to enable and encourage the mainstream adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).

The index is formed from three pillars, each measuring distinct factors that help or hinder electric vehicle acquisition. First of these is the consumer appetite to buy electric, the second is the capability of the automotive companies to supply these cars, and the third is the availability of suitable charging infrastructure.

A score of 100 represents parity in the attractiveness, availability, pricing and usability of an electric car compared with a conventionally fuelled vehicle.

Today, we publish the EV Index for the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and The Netherlands.

A fuller explanation of the EV Index from Sophus3 can be found here.