In December 2025, 2.1 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide. By the end of the year, the total number of electric vehicles sold in the passenger car and light commercial vehicle segments was calculated as 20.7 million. Thus, total sales reached a record level, showing a 20% increase compared to the previous year. Sales in China increased by 17% to 12.9 million units, and in Europe by 33% to 4.3 million units. During the same period, sales in North America decreased by 4% to 1.8 million units, while in the rest of the world they increased by 48% to 1.7 million units.
In 2025, electric vehicle sales in Europe exceeded 1.8 million units, and electric vehicles accounted for 17.4% of the EU market share. Growth was seen in Germany (43.2%), the Netherlands (18.1%), Belgium (12.6%), and France (12.5%), which account for 62% of electric vehicles in the EU. Between January and December 2025, new hybrid electric vehicle registrations across the EU exceeded 3.7 million, driven by strong performance in the four largest markets. Year-on-year changes in December 2025 showed a 51% increase in electric vehicles and a 36.7% increase in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, with a 5.8% increase in hybrid electric vehicles.
In China, the electric and hybrid vehicle market grew by 17% in 2025 compared to 2024; electric vehicles saw a 26% increase and plug-in hybrid vehicles a 6% increase during the same period. Year-on-year growth slowed significantly in the last quarter of 2025, reaching only 4% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. Electric vehicles will be taxed for the first time in China in 2026; previously completely tax-exempt, they will be available with a 50% tax exemption from 2026 onwards.
Electric vehicle sales in North America, projected to fall by 4% to 1.8 million units in 2025, were significantly weakened in the US by the removal of tax breaks on September 30, 2025, and the introduction of protectionist policies aimed at relocating vehicle production and supply chains domestically. Electric vehicle sales in the US increased by only 1% in 2025. In Canada, the market saw a 41% drop in electric vehicle sales during the year following the removal of subsidies in early 2025. In contrast, electric vehicle sales in Mexico increased by 29%, largely driven by electric vehicles imported from China.
