Hybrid vehicles overtake petrol cars on Serbian market

Sales of new hybrid vehicles in Serbia surpassed those of petrol cars in the first quarter of the year, according to the latest data.

Hybrids use petrol or diesel fuel, together with electricity. Serbia is providing subsidies for electric vehicles, but state aid is available for hybrids since 2024.

Europe is registering an increase in the use of electric vehicles. Analysts view it as a consequence of rising fuel costs, resulting from the war in the Middle East. The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil was around USD 70 before the war, in late February, and now it is traded for over USD 110.

As a result, battery electric vehicle (BEV) registrations surged 51% in March 2026 across 15 key European markets. Time will tell if things are changing in Serbia as well.

The Serbian Association of Importers of Vehicles and Parts now said that the new car and light commercial vehicle market recorded robust growth in the first quarter of 2026.

Hybrids accounted for 43% of total sales

A total of 8,120 new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles were registered in Serbia. This is 1,145 more than in the same period of 2025, representing a 16.42% growth.

The number of new passenger cars was 7,000, which is an increase of 15.66% from the first quarter of 2025. The growth in the light commercial vehicles segment was 21.34% to 1,120.

The association pointed out that among the new passenger vehicles, hybrids have overtaken petrol-fueled cars.

In the first quarter of this year, petrol vehicles’ share was 42.03%, while all types of hybrids accounted for 43.2%. Sales of petrol models increased by 8.8%, and hybrid sales surged by 34.35% against the same period of last year.

Electric vehicle sales were up 221%, but with a negligible market share

A total of 138 new electric passenger cars were registered, or 1.97% of the market. It is an increase of 220.93% in absolute terms versus the first quarter of 2025.

According to a report from a month ago, with oil prices surpassing USD 100 a barrel, the additional cost of fueling a petrol car was expected to be five times the extra cost of charging an electric car.

“In our new passenger car market, just as in the EU, diesel vehicles are slowly disappearing. In total, 810 vehicles have been registered, which is a 11.57% market share, a 10.10% drop from 2025,” the association pointed out.

However, among new light commercial vehicles, diesel is the most common fuel, with 804 registered units, which is 71.79% of the market and an increase of 23.69% against 2025.