Europe is increasingly losing ground to china when it comes to electric vehicle development, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has said.
According to the ICCT’s third Global Automaker Rating, which assessed the performance of the world’s 21 largest automakers based on their progress toward a zero-emission future, Chinese firms now lead in both sales and technology performance.
Chinese manufacturer BYD overtook Tesla to become the largest seller of battery electric vehicles last year, seeing a 25% increase compared to 2023, according to the ICCT.
‘A missed opportunity’
“This year’s rating highlights that 2024 was a missed opportunity for European carmakers,” commented ICCT Europe director Dr. Peter Mock.
“As global car markets accelerated toward electrification, export-reliant German automakers are left behind and feel the pressure. A strong domestic market for electric vehicles in Europe could still shift the momentum. The EV market sales in 2025 are already promising, but the stakes continue to rise.”
China dominates the market
China now accounts for over half of global EV sales, with more than 11 million units sold each year, with Chinese automakers such as Geely and SAIC occupying the top five positions in zero-emission vehicle class coverage.
At the same time, German and French manufacturers have lost ground, with BMW’s zero-emission vehicle sales score rising by only 2 points, and VW, BMW, Mercedes, Stellantis, and Renault all dropping by a point.
Notably, both BMW and Renault have scaled back their ambitions for zero-emission vehicle targets, with BMW’s MINI and Renault’s Dacia delaying their 100% zero-emission goals, which had been set for 2031 and 2035, respectively.
Elsewhere, VW and BMW were downgraded by ICCT on battery recycling due to lack of evidence on announced plans and partnerships. Read more here.
Read more: Global EV sales set to account for more than a quarter of total cars sold this year
