Between January and March 2026, the Volkswagen Group delivered 2.05 million vehicles globally, recording a 4% decrease compared to the 2.13 million in the first quarter of last year. The overall result, however, hides very different dynamics by geographical area. Some markets have indeed shown signs of resilience or growth, while others have continued to slow down, especially on the electrification front, a decisive element for volume trends. In terms of battery vehicles, fully electric cars delivered through March stood at 200,000 units, a decrease of 8% compared to 2025.
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Volkswagen, sales down at the start of 2026
Analyzing the distribution by region, Volkswagen reports 7% growth in South America and a 4% increase in Western Europe, added to the +8% for Central and Eastern Europe. These increases reportedly “partially offset” the contractions recorded in China (-15%) and North America (-13%). Meanwhile, BEV market dynamics remain strongly differentiated: in Europe, the German giant continues to consolidate its position with growing numbers (+12%), and the market share in the BEV segment in Western Europe rises from 19 to 20%.
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Two-speed electric
The greatest difficulties emerge instead in markets where the supply and demand for pure electric are going through a phase of greater volatility. In China, the group reports a sharp collapse in battery electric vehicles (-64%), while in the USA the effect of tariffs is reflected in a fall of 80%. However, looking at “second generation” plug-in hybrids, the picture changes: globally, deliveries were 109,000, with a 31% surge on an annual basis.
