LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / RankWire.AI / – In July 2026, worldwide electric vehicle sales expanded by 9% compared to the previous year, totaling 1.85 million units. This growth contributed to a cumulative sales figure of 11.5 million vehicles for the first seven months of the year, marking a 4% rise from 2025. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence published these latest statistics on Aug. 13, covering battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars. The month of July also signified a fifth consecutive month of annual growth in global EV demand following a sluggish start to 2026.
Among the major EV markets, Europe experienced the most substantial growth in July. Sales of electric vehicles increased by 33% from the same month a year earlier, reaching approximately 450,000 units. The region’s sales during the first seven months of 2026 also grew by 28%. France saw an 81% annual surge in July and achieved a 37% EV penetration rate. Germany’s sales rose by 46%, while the United Kingdom reported a 43% increase. However, European EV sales in July were 17% lower than in June.
Battery-electric vehicle registrations continued their upward trend across Europe during the first half of 2026. The European Union recorded 1.22 million new electric cars, which accounted for 20.7% of all new vehicle registrations. This is a significant increase from 15.6% in the same period last year. Plug-in hybrids made up an additional 9.8% of the total registrations. Spain launched its Auto+ electric vehicle subsidy program on Aug. 4, offering up to 4,500 euros toward qualifying new electric passenger cars.
Europe leads July growth while China experiences a decline
China maintained its position as the world’s largest electric vehicle market by monthly volume, despite a 5% decrease in July. Sales for the month dropped to approximately 980,000 vehicles compared to the previous year. From January to July, Chinese EV sales were 12% lower than during the same period in 2025. Still, electric vehicles represented over half of China’s total vehicle market in that timeframe. Additionally, Chinese new energy vehicle exports surpassed 500,000 units in July, setting a new monthly record.
In contrast, North America saw a decline in EV sales during July, with approximately 140,000 units sold—down 27% from the previous year. Sales during the first seven months of 2026 also fell 18%. In the United States, July EV volumes decreased by more than 30% year on year, a decline partly attributed to the expiration of federal purchase tax credits in September 2025. U.S. EV sales had already declined 15% in the second quarter compared to the same period in the previous year.
Significant regional disparities in EV sales performance emerge in July
Markets outside China, Europe, and North America experienced the most rapid percentage gains during July. In these regions, electric vehicle sales jumped 97% year on year to roughly 280,000 units. This growth contributed to global totals, even as two of the three largest regional markets saw declines. China still accounted for more than half of the global EV sales volume in July, with Europe making up about one-quarter and North America remaining a smaller segment of the overall market.
Additional data for 2026 reveals that electric vehicles are capturing an increasing share of total car demand. The International Energy Agency noted that EVs comprised 24% of global car sales during the first half of 2026. During the second quarter, electric car sales grew by 4% compared to the same quarter last year and increased by 35% from the first quarter. Meanwhile, global car sales overall declined by approximately 5% in the first half. Against this backdrop, July’s 9% rise in EV sales pushed the total global electric vehicle sales for 2026 to 11.5 million units.