Global electric vehicle sales in February 2025 were around 50% higher than in the same month the previous year, new data from Rho Motion has found, however Tesla sales have slumped significantly year-on-year.
Much of the growth in the EV market over the past yer has come from China, which is seeing a “pure electric renaissance this year compared to the hybrid love affair of 2024,” commented Rho Motion data manager Charles Lester.
Despite high tariffs, China’s domestic EV brand, BYD, “shows no signs of slowing down its home and international expansion”, Lester added, noting that in the first two months of 2025, BYD sold 130,000 EVs overseas.
Read more: Europe losing ground to China in global electric vehicle race
January and February sales
Looking at the year-to-date sales for different regions of the world, globally, 2.4 million EVs were sold in January and February 2025, a 30% increase on the previous year.
In China, sales totalled 1.4 million for the first two months of the year, a 35% increase, while the EU/EFTA/UK saw 0.5 million EV sales, a 20% increase.
In the USA & Canada, sales totalled 0.3 million in January and February, a 20% rise, while sales in the rest of the world totalled 0.2 million, a 35% increase.
“In Europe, battery electric cars (BEVs) are flavour of the month with a leap of 29% year-to-date,” Lester added. “France’s weight tax on plug-in hybrids has had a big impact on those vehicle sales which are down almost 50% so far this year. Manufacturers might be relieved that the EU has introduced flexibility into the emissions standards, but they will still need to put their foot to the pedal to avoid large fines.
“As for North America, the region is seeing steady growth of 20% so far this year. American drivers bought 30% more electric vehicles than they had by this time last year, making use of the final months of IRA tax breaks before the incentives are expected to be pulled later this year.”
Uncertainty looms over the US market as proposed legislation, the ELITE Vehicles Act, seeks to eliminate federal EV tax credits, Rho Motion added.
Read more: Charging infrastructure needs to improve to accelerate EV adoption, says Uber CEO
Tough times for Tesla
At the same time, the largest BEV manufacturer in the US, Tesla, has had a ‘rocky’ start to the year, with sales down 47% in Europe and by 15% in China in January, despite these markets seeing growth of 33% and 16% respectively.
The Elon Musk-owned firm has been particularly affected in France, Germany, the UK, and Belgium, where its sales have fallen by as much as 63%. Read more here.
