Electric Vehicles Soar Past 1 Million Units Sold Globally

Global electric vehicle sales reached 1.6 million units in April, up 9% year over year, according to recent data. This represents a significant milestone for the industry, which is expected to continue growing in the coming years.

The plugin vehicle market has seen a surge in demand, with BEVs (+19% YoY) and PHEVs (-9% YoY) behaving differently than expected. Pure electrics have returned to double-digit growth, while plugin hybrids remain in the red for the first time since 2019.

The different dynamics between pure electrics and plugin hybrids are reflected in their share of plugin sales. In April, BEVs represented 72% of all plugin sales, or about 1.15 million units, one of the best results of the past few years.

Excluding China and the USA, global EV sales jumped 50% YoY in April, with BEVs surging +63% YoY, their highest growth rate since June 2023. This indicates that other regions are driving growth despite a slowdown in key markets.

The removal of incentives in the US last October and partial removals in China at the end of 2025 have been cited as reasons for the slow start to the year. However, this does not appear to be the only factor at play.

Other regions such as Australia, Italy, Argentina, Ireland, South Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia are experiencing significant growth in EV sales. For example, BEVs jumped 157% in Australia, while they surged +99% YoY in Italy.

The global BEV share of plugin sales has increased to 70%, with pure electrics touching the ceiling of their share of the past 12 years. This is a positive sign for the industry's sustainability goals.

Despite the slowdown in key markets, the EV revolution appears to be in good health. With the Middle East expected to drive further growth, ICE vehicle sales are likely to continue melting away.

As the industry continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how incentives and market trends impact global EV sales in the coming years.