LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / RankWire.AI / – Worldwide electric vehicle sales expanded by 9% in July 2026 compared to the same month the previous year, totaling 1.85 million units globally. For the first seven months of the year, sales reached a cumulative 11.5 million vehicles, reflecting a 4% increase over the same period in 2025. These figures encompass both battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence reported that July marked the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year growth, extending the market’s recovery following a slower start to the year.
Among the world’s key electric vehicle markets, Europe stood out with the highest growth during July, experiencing a 33% rise from the previous year to approximately 450,000 units sold. Additionally, European EV sales from January through July increased by 28%. France saw an 81% yearly surge in July, Germany reported a growth of 46%, and the United Kingdom experienced a 43% increase. However, European sales volumes still declined by 17% compared to June, indicating a different trend when comparing month-to-month data.
Battery-electric vehicles have also gained a larger proportion of new car registrations across the European Union, with registrations reaching 1.22 million units during the first half of 2026. These models now constitute 20.7% of new car registrations, up from 15.6% a year earlier, while plug-in hybrids made up an additional 9.8%. Spain launched its Auto+ electric vehicle subsidy program on August 4, offering incentives of up to 4,500 euros for qualifying new electric passenger cars.
Europe experiences the strongest growth among major EV markets
China remains the world’s largest electric vehicle market by volume despite experiencing weaker sales in July, recording roughly 980,000 EV units sold, which represents a 5% decrease compared to July 2025. The sales for the first seven months of 2026 were 12% lower than the same period in the previous year. Nonetheless, electric vehicles still accounted for more than half of China’s total vehicle market during that span. Additionally, Chinese exports of new energy vehicles surpassed 500,000 units in July, setting another monthly record for international shipments.
In North America, the decline was more pronounced as July sales of electric vehicles fell to around 140,000 units, a 27% decrease from the previous year. The total sales from January through July were 18% below the same period in 2025. In particular, U.S. electric vehicle sales dropped over 30% in July year-on-year, after the expiration of federal EV purchase tax credits in September 2025. The second quarter had already seen a 15% decline in U.S. EV sales.
Other regions contribute to the acceleration of global EV sales
Markets outside of China, Europe, and North America experienced the fastest percentage growth in July, with sales rising 97% from a year earlier to approximately 280,000 vehicles. These gains played a significant role in supporting the overall global increase despite China and North America registering year-over-year declines. China continued to generate more than half of the global EV sales in July, with Europe accounting for around 25%, while North America contributed a considerably smaller share of worldwide electric vehicle demand.
According to the International Energy Agency, electric vehicles made up 24% of global car sales during the first half of 2026. EV sales grew by 4% year over year in the second quarter and increased by 35% from the first quarter, even as overall global car sales declined by about 5%. The IEA projects approximately 23 million electric cars will be sold worldwide in 2026. The 9% annual increase in July pushed the total of global electric vehicle sales through the first seven months to 11.5 million units.