Noah Romsdal Hallundbæk Sørensen
Electric cars have reached an astonishing 82.9% of the January market, setting a brand-new record.
Denmark’s car market opened 2026 with a clear shift in consumer preference.
New figures show electric vehicles dominating registrations at an unprecedented level.
The latest data highlights a major milestone for the country’s green transition.
A total of 12,803 new passenger cars were registered in January, according to Mobility.dk. Of these, 10,618 were fully electric models.
The top model
That means battery-powered vehicles accounted for 82.9 percent of all new car sales during the month.
The share marks the highest electric proportion ever recorded in Denmark.
The surge is partly linked to the 2026 Finance Act agreement.
Lawmakers chose to postpone planned tax increases on electric vehicles, keeping prices relatively stable and maintaining incentives for buyers to opt for electric models.
Mobility Denmark CEO Mads Rørvig described the development as a turning point for the industry.
“2026 er startet positivt for bilmarkedet. Elbilerne fylder løbende mere, og i januar passerede vi en stor milepæl, da der nu for første gang er flere elbiler end dieselbiler i den samlede danske bilbestand,” he said.
Market shift
The January figures suggest that Denmark’s transition toward electric mobility is accelerating.
For the first time, the total number of electric cars on Danish roads now exceeds the number of diesel vehicles.
This structural shift reflects both political decisions and changing consumer behavior, as buyers continue to prioritize lower-emission alternatives.
Tesla, which was the best-selling electric brand in December 2025 after a turbulent year, slipped to third place in January.
Despite running a trade-in bonus campaign, Tesla sold 454 units of the Model Y during the month.
Toyota leads
Toyota emerged as January’s strongest performer. The brand had not featured in the top 10 in the same month last year but climbed to first place with 1,348 registrations of its bZ4X model.
Toyota also secured fifth position with the Urban Cruiser, which recorded 431 units sold.
Skoda’s Elroq, the overall best-selling car of 2025, ranked second in January with 804 registrations.
Rounding out the top 10 were Audi Q4 e-tron (444), Volkswagen ID.4 (381), Skoda Enyaq iV (312), Cupra Born (265), Renault R5 (261) and BMW iX1 (246).
Sources: MereMobil, Mobility
