Global EV Outlook 2026 (IEA)

Summary

• Electric car sales grew by 20% globally to exceed 20 million in 2025, meaning one-quarter of all new cars sold were electric.p.10
• In Europe, electric car sales rose by more than 30% to reach 28% of total sales in 2025, following tighter EU CO2 standards.p.10
• In China, EVs accounted for nearly 55% of all car sales in 2025.p.10
• Even without new policy announcements, the global EV fleet is projected to grow more than sixfold by 2035 from 2025 levels, to reach as many as 510 million.p.12
• Electric truck sales more than doubled in 2025 compared with 2024, reaching 9% of all truck sales worldwide.p.13
• Chinese electric car exports doubled to a record high of over 2.5 million in 2025.p.14
• Global electric car sales in the first quarter of 2026, at around 3.9 million, were 8% lower than in the same period last year.p.11

Key insights

1. The sales share of electric cars in the overall car market increased to 25% in 2025, displacing 1.2 million barrels of oil per day.p.16
2. Electric car sales in Europe reached a total of 4.2 million in 2025, or 28% of all new cars sold.p.21
3. More than 13 million electric cars were sold in China in 2025, accounting for six out of ten electric cars sold globally.p.18
4. US electric car sales in the fourth quarter of 2025 were 45% lower than in the fourth quarter of 2024 after tax credits ended.p.23
5. Norway remained the leading market with about 97% of new car sales being electric in 2025.p.22
6. Viet Nam became Southeast Asia's largest electric car market, with nearly 40% of new car sales being electric.p.26
7. China accounted for over 80% of battery cell production in 2025.p.14