26 October 2026 · Week 44
Latest briefing
Electric buses are changing competition in Europe. Hybrid figures call for a closer look at the definitions, while smart charging needs to balance electricity prices with grid capacity.
01
Electric city buses are changing who serves the market
ACEA’s call on 21 October to support European bus manufacturing reflects a shift visible beyond the industry association. In June, research organisation ICCT reported that Yutong led EU sales of zero-emission buses and coaches for the first time in the first quarter of 2026. BYD and King Long also ranked in the top eight. Zero-emission vehicles accounted for 55% of new city bus sales that quarter. This includes battery-electric and hydrogen buses and does not describe the existing fleet.
Public authorities help determine which manufacturers grow through their purchasing decisions. The purchase price tells only part of the story: energy use, maintenance, battery warranties and vehicle availability also matter over the service life. ACEA’s argument for giving greater weight to European production is an industry position. ICCT’s figures substantiate the shift in competition, but do not prove that European manufacturers are structurally more expensive or that protection would deliver better public transport.
Source: ICCT — Race to zero: EU heavy-duty vehicle market, January–March 2026 ↗︎
02
Petrol loses ground, but combustion engines remain
Battery-electric passenger cars accounted for 22.7% of new EU registrations in the first nine months of 2026, compared with 21.2% for the separate petrol category. ACEA’s figures, published on 22 October, put hybrids first at 36.3%. An important footnote explains that ACEA combines full and mild hybrids. Plug-in hybrids form a separate category with a 10.1% share.
Part of the shift out of the petrol category therefore involves cars that still have combustion engines, with electric assistance. A hybrid without a plug also requires no charging provision or change in charging routine. That may make it attractive, but registrations do not reveal buyers’ reasons. The range of models offered also influences the outcome. Describing hybrid growth solely as hesitation about electric driving reads more into the figures than they establish.
Source: ACEA — EU new passenger car registrations, September 2026, including definitions ↗︎
03
Smart charging needs to manage more than the cheapest hour
On 19 October, ElaadNL released open-source code for Matter and S2. It enables suppliers to improve communication between home energy management systems, charging points, heat pumps and home batteries. The code is available to use and test; this does not yet mean every household has a working combination.
For a driver, such a system could shift charging to cheaper hours or periods with electricity from their own solar panels, while ensuring sufficient charge by departure. A lower bill depends on the energy contract, equipment and available flexibility. Grid operators benefit from lower simultaneous demand at busy times. These interests do not automatically align: cheap electricity can prompt many cars to start charging together. Price-based control therefore needs to work with local power limits. The release makes this coordination more accessible technically, but does not yet provide measured savings or demonstrate a reduction in grid congestion.
Source: ElaadNL — Matter and S2 open-source release, 19 October 2026 ↗︎
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