As electric vehicles continue to reshape the future of mobility, new data from TradingPedia reveals surprising global shifts in demand. The report breaks down how each region is handling the transition to cleaner transport, showing that while some markets are accelerating adoption, others are tapping the brakes. From China’s unmatched dominance to Europe’s shifting policies and North America’s steady climb, here is a closer look at the global EV landscape in 2024 and early 2025.
No other country comes close to China when it comes to electric vehicle sales. In 2024, Chinese consumers bought 11.3 million EVs, a jump of nearly 40 percent from the previous year. That includes 6.4 million battery electric vehicles and 4.9 million plug-in hybrids. EVs now make up 48 percent of all new car sales in the country, compared to 38 percent in 2023.
The momentum is powered by strong government support, advanced local manufacturing, and extensive charging infrastructure. Brands like BYD and Xpeng are not only dominating at home but also starting to push into European markets, challenging legacy automakers head on. BYD even surpassed Tesla in global EV sales during the first quarter of 2025 with over 900 thousand units sold worldwide.
While Northern Europe still leads in EV share, the broader European market saw a 2.18 percent dip in EV registrations last year. Norway stands out with 92 percent of new cars being electric, followed by Sweden (58 percent), Denmark (56 percent), and Finland (50 percent). But in larger markets like Germany and France, the picture is more mixed.
Germany saw a sharp 27 percent drop in battery electric vehicle sales, and even with a rise in plug-in hybrids, petrol car sales slightly increased. France also registered declines in both BEV and PHEV sales, though hybrid vehicles surged by more than 36 percent, becoming the main force behind decarbonization there. Across the EU, hybrids accounted for 31.4 percent of new car sales in 2024, beating EVs at 22.7 percent.
In the United States, EV market share crept up from 9.5 percent to 10 percent, showing modest growth. The country saw 1.2 million BEVs and 320 thousand plug-in hybrids sold, with a total EV fleet now at 6.3 million vehicles. That represents only 2.7 percent of all vehicles on the road, and growth is mostly centered in urban areas. Canada performed better, with sales up 47 percent year over year and EVs making up 17 percent of all new cars sold in 2024.
Southeast Asia also saw remarkable jumps. Vietnam and Indonesia more than doubled their EV market share, although their totals remain small. EVs made up only 4.6 percent of sales in Vietnam and 7.3 percent in Indonesia. Still, the spike suggests a turning point in these markets as infrastructure and interest begin to grow.
Started my career in Automotive Journalism in 2015. Even though I'm a pharmacist, hanging around cars all the time has created a passion for the automotive industry since day 1.
SHARE
