Global sales of electric vehicles reached 2.09 million units in October 2026, a 8% increase on the corresponding month a year earlier, according to new data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
On a month-on-month basis, however, EV sales fell by 3%. In the first ten months of the year, global EV sales reached 17.5 million units, a 5% increase compared to the previous year.
Among the different markets assessed by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Europe put in a solid performance in October, with sales rising 36% year on year to 510,000 vehicles. In the year-to-date, some 4.5 million units were sold, a 31% increase on the same month a year earlier.
BEVs lead the charge
“Battery electric vehicles led the way, up 49% year-on-year, while plug-in hybrids rose a more modest 7% year-on-year,” commented Charles Lester, data manager, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
“Germany posted its highest EV penetration since December 2022 – when buyers rushed to purchase ahead of EV subsidy cuts at the start of 2023 – and the UK grew 30% year-on-year, despite comparing against a period when its Electric Car Grant was already in place.”
China remains the world’s largest market for electric vehicles, with 1.14 million EVs sold in October 2026. While this represented a 12% decline year-on-year, sales were up 5% compared to the previous month. Between January and October, sales in China totalled 9.1 million units, down 11% on 2025.
“China’s year-on-year decline narrowed to 12% as manufacturers continued to lean on exports, with passenger car NEV exports reaching almost 600,000 units, another monthly record,” said Lester.
North America
Sales in North America rose by around a quarter (24%) year on year to 130,000 vehicles, however, year-to-date sales remained 21% lower, at 1.3 million.
“North America returned to year-on-year growth for the first time this year, but this is not an entirely positive story,” Lester noted. “October is the first month compared against a period without the US federal tax credit, and the US market has stabilised at a lower level rather than recovered.”
The Rest of the World (RoW) region reported the highest growth rate, of 85%, in October, with sales reaching 300,000 units. Year-to-date sales growth is even higher, reaching 2.6 million, up 93%.
According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, EV sales in Australia were up more than 200% year-on-year in October, while Brazil has also seen ‘huge growth’ , although this was likely driven by a planned increase in import tariffs and higher fuel prices. Read more here.
