Hybrids now make up nearly half of new car registrations in Cyprus

Cyprus experienced a sharp increase in motor vehicle registrations in 2026, with hybrid vehicles significantly expanding their share of new passenger car registrations during the first two months of the year.

Specifically, motor vehicle registrations reached 9,020 during January and February, according to the Cyprus Statistical Service’s (Cystat) latest report.

This marks a 15.1 per cent increase compared with the 7,834 registrations recorded during the corresponding period of 2025.

In February 2026 alone, total motor vehicle registrations rose to 4,670, representing a 24.3 per cent increase from 3,757 recorded in February 2025.

At the same time, passenger saloon car registrations increased to 3,600 vehicles in February 2026, up 23.8 per cent from 2,908 registered during the same month of the previous year.

For the January to February 2026 period, passenger saloon car registrations rose to 6,917 vehicles, compared with 6,084 during the same period in 2025, representing an increase of 13.7 per cent.

Of the total passenger cars registered during the period, 2,401 vehicles or 34.7 per cent were new, while 4,516 vehicles or 65.3 per cent were used cars.

The data also showed that rental car registrations declined, falling from 555 vehicles in the first two months of 2025 to 502 in the same period of 2026.

A notable development in the report was the rapid rise in the share of hybrid passenger cars, which increased from 43.9 per cent in January to February 2025 to 49.6 per cent in the same period of 2026.

At the same time, the share of petrol-powered passenger cars fell to 36.2 per cent, down from 41.6 per cent a year earlier.

The share of diesel-powered passenger cars also declined slightly, dropping to 8.9 per cent in 2026 from 9.2 per cent in 2025.

The report showed that electric vehicles accounted for 5.2 per cent of passenger car registrations in January to February 2026, slightly down from 5.3 per cent recorded in the corresponding period of 2025.

The figures underline the growing shift towards hybrid technology in the Cypriot car market, even as fully electric vehicles remain a relatively small segment.

Elsewhere in the vehicle market, motor coaches and buses registered during January to February 2026 increased to 44, compared with 20 during the same period of 2025.

Registrations of goods conveyance vehicles also rose significantly, increasing by 26.2 per cent to 1,155 vehicles, compared with 915 during the same period of the previous year.

Within that category, rental goods vehicles increased by 88.0 per cent to 47, while heavy goods vehicles rose by 67.4 per cent to 149.

At the same time, road tractors used for trailers increased by 42.9 per cent to 40, while light goods vehicles rose by 18.9 per cent to 919.

The report also recorded a sharp decline in moped registrations under 50cc, which dropped to 15 in the first two months of 2026 compared with 49 in the corresponding period of 2025.

In contrast, motorcycles over 50cc recorded growth, rising by 14.7 per cent to 758 registrations, compared with 661 in the same period last year.

Despite the gradual shift toward alternative powertrains, Cyprus continues to lag behind much of Europe in the adoption of electric vehicles, according to recent data published by Eurostat.

Specifically, Eurostat reported that electric vehicles accounted for just 0.51 per cent of the island’s total passenger car fleet in 2024, highlighting the slow pace of electrification.

The figures reveal a significant gap between Cyprus and leading northern European regions, where the adoption of electric vehicles has progressed far more rapidly.

In 2024, the Flevoland region in the Netherlands recorded the highest share of electric passenger cars in the EU, with electric vehicles accounting for 22.1 per cent of the total fleet.

This represented a 5.0 percentage point increase compared with 2023, highlighting the continued acceleration of electric vehicle adoption in the region.

The Stockholm region in Sweden followed with a 14.4 per cent share of electric passenger cars, reflecting strong uptake across Nordic markets.

Other leading regions included Hovedstaden in Denmark with a 13.3 per cent share, as well as Flemish Brabant in Belgium with 12.9 per cent.

Another Danish region, Midtjylland, also recorded a strong presence of electric vehicles, with 12.6 per cent of passenger cars being electric.

Beyond these areas, only four additional regions across the European Union recorded electric vehicle shares above 10 per cent in 2024.