Global EV sales climbed again in August 2025, with 1.7 million electric vehicles hitting the road worldwide. That’s a 5% jump compared to July and 15% higher than August 2024, according to new data from Rho Motion.
Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) made up the bulk of sales at 1.16 million units, while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) accounted for 570,000. In total, 12.5 million EVs have been sold in the first eight months of this year.
Charles Lester, data manager at Rho Motion, explained what’s driving the numbers:
The North American market has reached a record monthly high as consumers in the US accelerate purchases to take advantage of the tax credit before it expires at the end of September. Momentum remains in Europe, underpinned by the emissions legislation, with major automotive countries, Germany and the UK, growing by 45% and 31% YTD, respectively.
Year-over-year growth in the Chinese market slowed in July-August 2025; however, this is compared to a period where subsidies for the auto trade-in scheme increased last year, which spurred EV demand in the country.
Here’s how year-to-date sales stack up against the same period in 2024:
- Global: 12.5 million, up 25%
- China: 7.6 million, up 25%
- Europe: 2.6 million, up 31%
- North America: 1.3 million, up 6%
- Rest of world: 1.0 million, up 44%
Europe is seeing some of the fastest growth. Sales are up 31% year to date, split nearly evenly between BEVs and PHEVs. Germany leads the charge with a 45% jump, while the UK is up 31%. Spain has doubled its EV sales this year, and Italy is up 41%. France is the outlier, with sales down 9% so far in 2025. August sales in the UK dipped 32% compared to July, but that’s a normal seasonal slowdown before a big surge in September tied to new license plate numbers.
On the model front, Ford’s Puma Gen-E and E-Tourneo Courier both qualified for the maximum UK discount of £3,750 ($5,100). Chinese automaker BYD continues its push in Europe, with the Seal U becoming one of the region’s bestselling PHEVs. In September, BYD added another model, the Seal 6 PHEV.
In North America, sales are up 6% so far this year, but August set a new monthly record as US buyers rushed to lock in the federal tax credit before it ends September 30. Analysts expect strong September numbers, followed by a steep drop in Q4. Automakers are already preparing for a pullback: VW will pause ID.4 production in October, and GM is expected to cut EV output once the credit disappears. Canada is struggling, with EV sales down by a third this year after the iZEV rebate was paused. That slump, paired with tough economic conditions, could derail the country’s 2026 EV sales mandate, which Prime Minister Mark Carney has paused while the government deals with US tariff impacts.
China, the world’s largest EV market, grew sales 11% in August compared to July and 6% year over year. Year-to-date sales are still up 25%, but growth has slowed compared to last year, when a boosted auto trade-in subsidy drove demand. BYD, the country’s dominant player, cut its 2025 sales target from 5.5 million units to 4.6 million, with up to a million of those expected to come from overseas markets.
Read more: Global EV sales hit 10.7M in 2025 – Europe surges, US stalls
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