September 2025 saw 2.1 million electric vehicles sold worldwide, the highest monthly total ever recorded, new data from Rho Motion has found.
This was a 24% increase compared to the same month the previous year, and 20% higher month-on-month, the data showed.
Some 427,000 EV sales were sold in Europe alone during the month, an increase of more than a third (36%) compared to September 2024, and 55% higher on a month-on-month basis.
‘Record-breaking demand’
“Global EV sales topped two million units in a single month for the first time, driven by record-breaking demand across major markets,” commented Charles Lester, Rho Motion data manager. “The US surged ahead as buyers raced to claim expiring tax credits, the UK hit new highs on the back of fresh registration plates and the Electric Car Grant, and South Korea set records thanks to Tesla, Hyundai, Kia, and rising BYD imports.”
In the period from January to September 2025, some 14.7 million electric vehicles were sold worldwide, which is a 26% increase on the same nine-month period a year earlier.
All regions reported double digit sales increases – China reported 9 million EV sales between January and September, a 24% increase; Europe saw 3 million EV sales, a 32% increase; North America recorded 1.5 million EV sales, a 11% increase; and Rest of World reported EV sales of 1.2 million units, a 48% rise.
September sales
Other markets to report significant EV sales in September included the UK, which reported a new high following the reintroduction of the Electric Car Grant in July, wile Italy and Spain also saw sales up due to government incentives.
Germany is expected to see a ‘renewed boost’ in EV demand next year, Rho Motion noted, following the approval of a new €3 billion incentive package to support low- and middle-income households with purchase and leasing options.
In North America, EV sales climbed 66% in the United States year on year, as consumers sought to take advantage of expiring federal tax credits. According to Rho Motion, demand is likely to ‘fall sharply’ in the fourth quarter, as these incentives expire, although some manufacturers, such as Hyundai, are lowering prices to cushion the impact.
China continues to be the world’s largest EV market, with more than 1.3 million units sold in September. Sales of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) were up 28% year-on-year, to just over 0.8 million units, while plug-in hybrid sales (PHEVs) were down 2% to 0.47 million units. Read more here.
