The goal of countries and global organizations is for us to stop emitting so much, and for that, they believe the automotive market needs to transform into electric. Fortunately for them, the numbers invite optimism.
The consulting firm Rho Motion, based in London, has just published the latest global electric vehicle sales figures for January 2025, and here is the headline: 1.3 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide.
This represents a drop of more than a third compared to the record figures from December, but don’t be fooled: in January 2025 there was an 18% increase compared to January 2024. This is what is called a year-on-year increase.
EV sales worldwide: by regions and countries
Global electric vehicle sales have had a solid, though not spectacular, start in January 2025. While figures from China suffered a predictable drop after the holiday rush, Europe is gaining momentum and North America is experiencing steady growth. Here’s how the major markets performed in January:
- Global: 1.3 million electric vehicles sold (+18% year-on-year, -35% compared to December 2024)
- China: 0.7 million (+12% year-on-year, -43% month-on-month)
- EU, EFTA, and the United Kingdom: 0.25 million (+21% year-on-year, -19% month-on-month)
- USA and Canada: 0.13 million (+22% year-on-year, -28% month-on-month)
- Rest of the world: 0.13 million (+50% year-on-year, -4% month-on-month)
The EU, the EFTA, and the United Kingdom started the year with a strong increase of 21%, selling more than 250,000 electric vehicles in January.
Germany led the charge, with an increase in electric vehicle sales of more than 40% year-on-year, and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in particular saw growth of more than 50%.
But not all countries had an easy start. France, for example, suffered a major blow, with a 52% drop in sales compared to December and a 15% year-on-year decline. The reason was a new tax on the weight of plug-in hybrids (PHEV) that came into effect in January, leading to a buying frenzy in December before the new rules took effect.
Regarding the Asian giant, China, electric vehicle sales there increased by 12% compared to January of last year, partly thanks to the ongoing national car exchange program. However, sales fell by 43% compared to December, which is typical for this time of year.
And the United States experienced a solid 22% increase in electric vehicle sales compared to January 2024, with 130,000 units sold. However, that still represents a 28% drop from the increase in December 2024. And the future of the electric car there is in doubt because of Donald Trump.
