The Hidden Lever Behind Europe’s EV Acceleration

Quicker fleet turnover could unlock Europe’s EV transition, turning company cars and used markets into powerful accelerators

16 Jan 2026

Europe’s electric-car boom looks impressive on paper. Sales are rising, targets are multiplying and factories are retooling. Yet the continent’s roads are changing more slowly than policymakers hoped. The reason is mundane but decisive: cars last a long time.

Research published recently in Transportation Research Part D puts numbers to a growing suspicion. Even rapid growth in new electric-vehicle (EV) sales does little to clean up the fleet if petrol and diesel cars stay in use for years longer than expected. In other words, what matters is not only what enters the market, but what leaves it.

That insight is shifting attention towards fleet renewal. Company cars and rental vehicles are replaced far more often than privately owned ones. In Europe they account for around 60% of new registrations. Push them to go electric, and cleaner vehicles spread faster, first into corporate car parks, then into the second-hand market.

Carmakers have noticed. Many are courting fleet buyers more aggressively, offering bundled deals that include charging, maintenance and energy contracts. For manufacturers struggling with patchy consumer demand, fleets promise scale and predictability. For regulators, they offer leverage.

The European Commission is now weighing proposals to require large corporate fleets to move towards zero-emission vehicles. The logic is simple: faster turnover delivers quicker emissions cuts than waiting for households to change their habits. It also helps normalise EVs, making them less exotic and more familiar.

The used-car market matters too. Leasing firms are beginning to channel off-lease EVs to private buyers, improving affordability and supporting resale values. Without a healthy second-hand market, electrification stalls once subsidies fade.

None of this is cost-free. Faster renewal means higher upfront spending, and charging infrastructure remains uneven, especially outside big cities. Carmakers warn that electrification must add up commercially, not just politically.

Still, the direction is clear. Europe’s EV transition is maturing. The hard part is no longer persuading factories to build electric cars, but persuading old ones to retire. On that front, speed may count for more than ambition.