Global electric vehicle sales climbed 21% this year, highlighting the continued momentum of the EV transition worldwide, but North America remains a clear outlier, with sales slipping instead of accelerating.
Data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence shows that EV sales in North America fell by 1% compared with 2024, even as demand surged across other major markets. Between January and November, about 1.7 million EVs were sold in North America, a fraction of the 11.6 million sold in China and well below Europe’s 3.8 million.
The slowdown comes amid a convergence of policy shifts and market pressures in the United States. The US$7,500 federal tax credit for new EVs ended in September, removing a key incentive for buyers. At the same time, the Trump administration has relaxed emissions and fuel-efficiency rules designed to encourage automakers to speed up the transition to electric and hybrid vehicles. Tariffs and lingering supply chain disruptions have further weighed on consumer demand.
US auto executives have increasingly warned of a cooling market. Ford CEO Jim Farley said in September that EV market share in the US could nearly halve to around 5% in the near term, reflecting softer demand and growing consumer hesitation.
Despite the broader slowdown, Tesla has weathered the downturn better than many of its rivals, according to separate data from Cox Automotive. Still, the world’s most valuable automaker is under pressure as it tries to avoid a second consecutive year of declining sales. Other US EV manufacturers have felt the strain more sharply, with both General Motors and Rivian announcing layoffs in recent months.
Elsewhere, the picture is far more upbeat. China’s EV sales rose 19%, driven by strong domestic demand and aggressive expansion by local manufacturers. BYD, the country’s largest EV maker, faced tougher competition at home but set a record for EV exports in October, underscoring China’s growing dominance in global electric mobility.
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence said global demand remains resilient, supported by a wider range of models and sustained policy support in many regions.
While EV adoption continues to accelerate worldwide, the North American dip suggests that policy consistency and consumer incentives remain critical, and that without them, even the most advanced EV market can lose momentum.
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