Global EV sales up 21% this year: Europe shows growth, US lags behind
Kyiv • UNN
In November 2025, global EV sales reached 2 million, bringing the total to 18.5 million units year-to-date, a 21% increase over 2024. Europe leads the growth, while North America lags after the cancellation of tax incentives, and China remains the largest market.
In November 2025, 2 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide, bringing their global sales to 18.5 million units since the beginning of the year, a 21% increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to specialists in electric vehicle and battery supply chain research Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, UNN reports with reference to Electrek.
Details
Europe was the clear leader in growth in November, while North America continued to lag after the expiration of EV tax credits in the US. Meanwhile, China remains the world's largest EV market by a wide margin.
Europe leads the way
The European EV market grew by 36% year-on-year in November 2025, with BEV sales up 35% and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales up 39%. This brought total EV sales in Europe for the year to 3.8 million units, a 33% increase compared to January-November 2024.
France finally returned to year-on-year growth in November, showing a 1% increase after spending most of 2025 in decline following previous subsidy cuts. The recovery was driven by manufacturers such as Volkswagen Group and Renault, a wider choice of EV models, and the French "social leasing" program aimed at helping low-income households switch to electric vehicles.
Italy also had an outstanding month, recording record EV sales of just under 25,000 units in November. The growth followed the launch of a new incentive program designed to replace older internal combustion engine vehicles. The program provides €597.3 million (approximately US$700 million) in funding to replace about 39,000 gasoline cars.
The UK expanded access to the full £3,750 (US$4,400) EV subsidy, adding five more eligible models: Nissan Leaf (manufactured in Sunderland, deliveries to begin in early 2026), MINI Countryman, Renault 4, Renault 5, and Alpine A290.
US market slows after federal tax credit repeal
In North America, US EV sales rose slightly in November compared to the previous month after a sharp drop in October, following the expiration of federal tax credits on September 30, 2025. Brands such as Kia (up 30%), Hyundai (up 20%), Honda (up 11%), and Subaru (232 Solterra sales compared to just 13 the month before) showed gains, but overall volumes remain below levels when the federal tax credit was still available.
Policy changes are not helping. In early December, Trump officially "scrapped" the US Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Automakers can now largely meet the standard through gasoline cars, reducing pressure to scale BEVs and PHEVs.
These relaxed rules are already reflected in investment decisions, such as Stellantis' $13 billion plan to expand US production by 50%, with a focus on internal combustion engine vehicles. Earlier this year, a major Trump bill set penalties for failing to meet CAFE targets at $0, further weakening the incentive for manufacturers to electrify.
"This is a somewhat absurd policy, given that the world reached peak gasoline car sales in 2017. The US under Trump will fall behind, just as it did with its attempts to revive the coal industry," the publication states.
China still dominates, exports growing
China remains the backbone of global EV sales, even with slowing growth. The Chinese market grew by 3% year-on-year in November and 4% month-on-month. Year-to-date, EV sales in China have increased by 19%, reaching 11.6 million units sold.
One of the biggest news from China is exports. BYD reported record EV exports in November – 131,935 units, surpassing the previous high of about 90,000 units set in June. BYD's sales in Europe more than quadrupled this year to approximately 200,000 cars, doubled in Southeast Asia, and increased by more than 50% in South America.
Global overview
Global EV sales from January to November 2025 compared to January to November 2024, % year-to-date:
- global: 18.5 million, +21%;
- China: 11.6 million, +19%;
- Europe: 3.8 million, +33%;
- North America: 1.7 million, -1%;
- rest of the world: 1.5 million, +48%.
"Conclusion: demand for electric vehicles continues to grow worldwide, but political support - or its absence - is increasingly influencing where this growth manifests," the publication notes.
"Overall, demand for electric vehicles remains robust, supported by expanding model ranges and sustained policy incentives globally," said Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester.