Global electric vehicle (EV) sales continued to grow in 2025, though at a slower pace than previous years. worldwide sales of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) rose 20.9% to 20.9 million units. While this marks solid growth, it also reflects a steady slowdown in expansion since 2021. BEVs once again made up the majority of total EV sales globally.
Chinese automaker BYD emerged as the world’s best-selling EV brand in 2025. The company delivered 3,967,070 units, up 3.1% year on year. However, rising competition meant its global market share slipped by 3.2 percentage points to 19%.
Tesla ranked second with 1,635,753 deliveries, although its volumes declined by 8.5% compared to the previous year.
In Europe, the EV market rebounded strongly. Sales jumped 31.3% to 3.88 million units — the region’s fastest annual growth since 2021. A particularly strong fourth quarter pushed quarterly sales past one million units for the first time.
Volkswagen claimed the top spot in Europe, with EV sales surging 86.8% to 426,325 units. Its market share rose to 11%, marking the brand’s first leadership position in the region since 2021.
Meanwhile, the European Commission confirmed a minimum import price agreement for Chinese-made BEVs. This allows the Cupra Tavascan, produced in China by a Volkswagen Group subsidiary, to avoid EU countervailing duties of 20.7% under specific conditions.
The move could open the door for similar trade arrangements between European authorities and Chinese manufacturers in the future.
Click Here to get the latest EV news and exclusive updates from EV Mechanica on WhatsApp!