The number of plug-in vehicles sold globally in September 2.1 million, the highest monthly total on record, according the data revealed by leading EV supply chain research and insights company Rho Motion.
Snapshot electric vehicle sales in YTD 2025 (Jan-Sept 2025) vs YTD 2024 (Jan-Sept 2024), YTD %
– Global: 14.7 million, +26%
– China: 9.0 million, +24%
– Europe: 3.0 million, +32%
– North America: 1.5 million, +11%
– Rest of World: 1.2 million, +48%
Rho Motion Data Manager, Charles Lester, commented: “Global EV sales topped two million units in a single month for the first time, driven by record-breaking demand across major markets. 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. Year to date, EV sales have reached 14.7 million – up 26%.”
Europe
The European market achieved a record month with 427,000 electric vehicles sold in September 2025, up 36% year on year and 55% month on month.
In the UK, EV sales also reached a new high, supported by seasonally strong September demand tied to new registration plates and the Electric Car Grant introduced in July 2025. Battery electric vehicle sales rose by around 30% year on year, while plug-in hybrids climbed by almost 60%.
Germany is expected to see a renewed boost in EV demand following the approval of a new EUR3 billion (USD3.5 billion) incentive package, agreed by the German coalition committee. Starting next year, the programme aims to support low- and middle-income households with purchase and leasing options, replacing the previous subsidy scheme that ended in December 2023.
Italy and Spain also continue to benefit from supportive incentives, with Italy’s EV market expanding by two-thirds year on year and Spain’s more than doubling.
North America
The US market recorded its second consecutive monthly high for EV sales in September 2025, as consumers rushed to take advantage of federal tax credits that expired on 30 September. EV sales were 66% higher year on year, driven by both the 30D tax credit, available for around 20 battery electric vehicles, and the 45W credit, which supported attractive leasing options.
Following a record-breaking quarter, demand is expected to fall sharply in Q4 2025, as both consumers and businesses lose access to the federal incentives that have underpinned EV purchases. Several manufacturers are introducing short-term measures to cushion the impact, for example Hyundai has reduced prices to remain competitive.
The end of the tax credit has also led several OEMs to scale back production. General Motors has suspended one shift at its Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant; Mercedes-Benz has paused production of four EV models; Volkswagen will halt ID.4 production in Tennessee at the end of October; and Nissan has cancelled plans to produce EVs in the United States entirely.
China
China’s EV market reached 1.3 million units in September 2025, driven by record monthly BEV sales. BEV volumes rose 28% year on year to just over 0.8 million units, while PHEVs (including range-extended EVs) declined by 2% to 0.47 million units.
In the first nine months of 2025, nearly nine million EVs have been sold in China, a 24% year-to-date increase, underscoring the country’s position as the world’s largest and most mature EV market.
[source: RHO Motion]
