In March, global sales of electric vehicles increased to 1.7 million units, and in the first quarter of 2025 reached 4.1 million. This is evidenced by new data from the research company Rho Motion. Year-on-year, sales grew by 29%, and by an impressive 40% compared to February.
In Europe, electric vehicle sales are up 22% year-to-date, with battery electric vehicles (BEVs) the main driver, up 27%. The BEV market in Germany grew by 37%, in Italy by 64%, and in the UK, for the first time, sales of more than 100 thousand electric vehicles in one month were recorded, which was made possible by new car registrations. In France, on the other hand, EV sales declined by 18% due to cuts in government subsidies: BEVs lost 5%, and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) by as much as 47%. Despite the overall growth of the electric vehicle market in Germany, Tesla’s sales in the country fell by 70% in the first two months of 2025. Overall, the share of electric vehicles in Germany has already reached 17% of all new car registrations.
In North America, electric vehicle sales grew by 16% in the first quarter of 2025. However, the market outlook remains uncertain due to new duties imposed by Donald Trump. In February, a 25% duty was imposed on imports of cars from Canada and Mexico, and in March, a wider duty was imposed on all imported cars, which is likely to lead to higher prices for consumers. About 40% of electric vehicle sales in the US are imported from countries such as Japan, Korea, and Mexico, so the impact on availability and market dynamics could be significant.
China continues to be the global leader in electromobilization, with electric vehicle sales up 36% year-on-year in the first quarter, almost reaching 1 million units in March alone, a record last set in August 2024. The trade war between the US and China will have minimal impact on China due to the low volume of cross-border sales of electric vehicles. However, the Tesla X and S models are exported from the US to China, and their price could almost double due to the new duties.
Charles Lester, Head of Data at Rho Motion, said:
«Despite the turbulence, we have seen strong global growth in the electric vehicle market this quarter. Some countries, such as the UK, broke records in March — drivers are increasingly switching to electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, in North America, forecasts are not keeping up with the pace of political change. Obviously, the electric car market is already struggling to compete with ICE cars on price, so subsidy cuts and tough tariffs on the international supply chain are guaranteed to have a deterrent effect».
Sales of electric vehicles in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024 (in million units, increase %):
Source: electrek 1, 2