LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / RankWire.AI / – In July 2026, worldwide electric vehicle sales rose by 9% compared to the previous year, reaching a total of 1.85 million units. For the first seven months of the year, sales amounted to 11.5 million vehicles, marking a 4% increase from the same period in 2025. These figures encompass both battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence reported that July represented a fifth consecutive month of yearly growth, signifying an extension of the market’s recovery after a slower start to the year.
Among the major global markets, Europe stood out in July with the highest growth rate. Regional sales jumped 33% year-over-year to approximately 450,000 units. From January through July, EV sales in Europe increased by 28%. France experienced an 81% year-on-year rise in July, while Germany saw growth of 46%. The United Kingdom also registered a 43% increase. However, European sales volumes in July were 17% lower than in June, indicating a different trend in the monthly comparison.
Within the European Union, battery-electric cars gained further market share in new vehicle registrations. During the first half of 2026, registrations reached 1.22 million units. Battery-electric models made up 20.7% of new car registrations, compared to 15.6% in the previous year. Plug-in hybrids accounted for an additional 9.8%. Spain launched its Auto+ electric vehicle subsidy program on August 4, which offers up to 4,500 euros for eligible new electric passenger cars.
Europe demonstrates the most robust growth among leading EV markets
China remained the largest EV market by volume despite a decline in July sales. The country reported about 980,000 EV units sold, which is 5% less than in July 2025. The total for the first seven months was 12% below last year’s figures. Despite the dip in sales, electric vehicles still constituted over half of China’s total vehicle market during this period. Additionally, Chinese exports of new energy vehicles surpassed 500,000 units in July, setting another monthly record for overseas shipments.
North America experienced a sharper downturn, with July sales falling to roughly 140,000 electric vehicles, a 27% decrease from the previous year. For the January-July period, sales were 18% lower than the same timeframe in 2025. The U.S. saw a decline of over 30% in electric vehicle sales in July compared to the previous year, partly due to the expiration of federal EV purchase tax credits in September 2025. U.S. EV sales had already dropped 15% during the second quarter.
Emerging markets contribute to the global upward trend in EV sales
Markets outside China, Europe, and North America experienced the fastest percentage growth in July, with sales increasing 97% from the previous year to approximately 280,000 units. These gains helped support the overall global increase, even as China and North America faced declines. China still accounted for more than half of the total EV sales in July worldwide, while Europe contributed about a quarter. North America represented a comparatively small share of the global electric vehicle demand.
According to the International Energy Agency, electric vehicles made up 24% of global car sales during the first half of 2026. EV sales grew 4% year-over-year during the second quarter and increased 35% from the first quarter. Meanwhile, overall global car sales declined by about 5%. The IEA projects approximately 23 million electric cars will be sold worldwide in 2026. The 9% annual growth in July pushed the total global electric vehicle sales to 11.5 million units in the first seven months of 2026.