Global Growth in Plug-in Sales by August 2025: 15% Increase from Previous Year
In the first half of 2025, Europe reached a record market share of 17% for fully electric vehicles, reflecting strong growth in electrification across the continent. However, exact country-by-country sales growth percentages for August were not reported.
Elsewhere in the world, the rest of the globe saw a 44% increase in electric vehicle sales, albeit starting from a lower base. Notable performers included Spain, which doubled its electric vehicle sales, and Italy, which recorded a 41% increase.
In the United States, electric vehicle sales surged in August due to consumers taking advantage of the expiring tax credit before September 30th. This represented a 25% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
However, not all regions experienced growth in August. In China, the year-over-year growth for electric vehicles slowed down, with a 6% increase in July and an 11% increase in August. The decrease in growth is attributed to the strong incentive measures in the previous year. The Canadian market also saw a decline, with electric vehicle sales decreasing by a third since the beginning of the year, partly due to the suspended incentives.
The UK experienced a 32% decrease in electric vehicle sales in August compared to July, which analysts attribute to a seasonal effect. France saw a 9% decrease year-to-date.
Global sales for the first eight months of 2025 totaled 12.5 million units. Europe followed closely with 2.6 million electric vehicles sold, showing a 31% increase. The Chinese market sold 7.6 million electric vehicles, showing the strongest growth (+25%). North America sold 1.3 million units, showing a moderate 6% year-over-year growth primarily in August. Of these, 1.16 million were battery electric vehicles (BEVs), and 570,000 were plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
Germany and the United Kingdom led the growth in Europe, with increases of 45% and 31% respectively. Analysts expect a decrease in electric vehicle sales in the fourth quarter in North America following the expiration of the tax credits.
Experts attribute the decrease in growth in China to the strong incentive measures in the previous year. The decrease in electric vehicle sales in Canada is partly due to the suspended incentives.
Overall, the global trend towards electric vehicles continues, with record sales in the first half of 2025 and a total of 12.5 million units sold in the first eight months of the year. Despite some fluctuations in August, the future of electric vehicles remains promising as more countries and regions implement incentives to encourage the shift towards cleaner, more sustainable transportation.
