The EV transition passed another milestone in 2025. Zoom past the headline and the global picture fractures into very different stories.
18.3 million — a new record, up 31%
Global EV sales hit 18.3 million units in 2025. EVs now represent 20% of all new car sales worldwide — up from 14% in 2023 and just 4% in 2020.
The growth curve is steep. But the shape varies enormously by geography.
EVs went from 4% to 20% of global car sales in just five years.
China sold 11 million EVs — alone
China took 60% of the global total. EV share of new car sales hit 38%, exceeding 45% in some months.
BYD alone sold more EVs than the entire European market. The average EV price in China dropped below $25,000 — less than half the US or European average. That price gap is reshaping global trade policy fast.
BYD sold more electric cars than all of Europe combined. One company.
Europe stalled at 22%
Europe's EV share held flat versus 2024. Three reasons:
- Germany, France, and the UK cut subsidies — sales followed them down
- Charging gaps remain in Southern and Eastern Europe
- EU tariffs on Chinese EVs raised consumer prices without boosting local manufacturing
The US sits at 9%
US market share reached 9% — up from 7.6% in 2024 but well behind China and Europe. The average EV price of $52,000 and high interest rates kept mass adoption slower than projected.
The Inflation Reduction Act is funding domestic battery plants in Georgia, Tennessee, and Michigan. The infrastructure is coming — the affordability isn't there yet.
The average American EV costs $52,000. The average Chinese EV costs $25,000. That gap explains a lot.
Africa: under 1% — but watch two-wheelers
Most of Africa sits below 1% EV adoption. Structural barriers are the issue: limited charging, high vehicle prices, and established ICE used-car imports from Europe and Japan.
Kenya's electric two-wheeler market is growing fast. That — not passenger cars — may be Africa's actual EV entry point.
30–35% of global sales by 2030
The trajectory points to EVs taking 30–35% of global new car sales by 2030 — driven overwhelmingly by China. The key variable: whether Chinese cost advantages reach global markets, or face rising protectionist walls.
If China's prices go global, the transition moves faster than any current projection suggests.