LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / RankWire.AI / – In July 2026, the worldwide electric vehicle market expanded by 9% compared to the same month last year, reaching a total of 1.85 million units sold across the globe. The cumulative sales for the first seven months reached 11.5 million vehicles, reflecting a 4% increase from the same period in 2025. These figures include battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence noted that July marked the fifth consecutive month of annual growth, indicating a continued recovery in the market after a slower start to the year.
During July, Europe emerged as the leading region in electric vehicle growth among the major markets worldwide. Regional sales surged 33% year-over-year to approximately 450,000 units. Between January and July, EV sales in Europe increased by 28%. France experienced an 81% annual rise in July, while Germany’s growth stood at 46%. The United Kingdom saw a 43% increase. Despite this, European EV volumes declined 17% from June, highlighting different monthly trends.
Battery-electric vehicle registrations also gained traction across the European Union, reaching 1.22 million units in the first half of 2026. The share of battery-electric models in new car registrations increased to 20.7%, up from 15.6% in the previous year. Plug-in hybrids made up another 9.8% of new registrations. Spain launched its Auto+ electric vehicle subsidy program on August 4, offering up to 4,500 euros for qualifying new electric passenger cars.
Europe leads the way in growth among key EV markets
China remained the top electric vehicle market in terms of volume despite a decline in July sales. The country sold approximately 980,000 EVs, down 5% from July 2025. The first seven months’ sales were 12% lower than the same period last year. Still, electric vehicles accounted for over half of China’s vehicle market during that timeframe. Chinese exports of new energy vehicles surpassed 500,000 units in July, setting another monthly record for shipments abroad.
North America experienced a sharper downturn, with sales decreasing to around 140,000 electric vehicles in July. This region’s total fell 27% compared to the previous year. January through July sales were 18% lower than in the same months of 2025. U.S. electric vehicle volumes declined by more than 30% year-over-year in July, partly due to the expiration of federal EV purchase tax credits in September 2025. The second quarter also saw a 15% decline in U.S. EV sales.
Other regions drive global electric vehicle market momentum
Markets outside China, Europe, and North America experienced the fastest growth rates in July, with a 97% increase year-over-year to roughly 280,000 units sold. These gains contributed significantly to the global upward trend, even as China and North America faced declines. China still produced over half of all EV sales globally in July, while Europe accounted for about a quarter, with North America contributing a much smaller share of worldwide EV demand.
According to the International Energy Agency, electric vehicles made up 24% of global car sales during the first half of 2026. In the second quarter alone, EV sales grew 4% compared to the previous year, and increased 35% from the first quarter, despite a roughly 5% decrease in overall global car sales. The agency forecasts approximately 23 million electric cars to be sold worldwide in 2026. The 9% annual growth in July helped raise the total global electric vehicle sales to 11.5 million units for the first seven months of the year.