Electric vehicle sales in Europe just hit a record high in September, as global market growth shifts to Europe and beyond its largest established markets.
Nearly 600,000 electric vehicles were sold in Europe in September, a 39% year-on-year increase, according to new data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. Globally, sales reached 2.15 million, 17% more than in August but 2% less than in September 2025.
| Region | September 26, millions | yoy | mother | To date, millions | YTD-26 vs YTD-25 |
| Porcelain | 1.11 | -18% | 7% | 8.1 | -13% |
| Europe | 0.60 | 39% | 62% | 3.9 | 30% |
| North America | 0.13 | -44% | -8% | 1.2 | -24% |
| Row | 0.31 | 81% | 6% | 23 | 93% |
| Global | 2.15 | -2% | 17% | 15.5 | 3% |
This brings global sales of battery electric vehicles (BEV) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) to 15.5 million through September, up 3% from the same period last year. But where those electric vehicles are sold tells a much more interesting story.
Europe reaches new record for electric vehicle sales
Europe’s September total surpassed its previous record, set in June, by 10%. BEVs did most of the heavy lifting: their sales were up 50% year-over-year, compared to PHEVs’ 16% growth.
The United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal and Finland recorded the highest monthly sales of electric vehicles in their history. France’s sales rose 78% year-on-year to nearly 80,000, while Germany’s rose 61% to 117,000.
UK sales were more than 3.5 times August’s total, although there is an important point to note: September’s new registration plates give a seasonal boost to the entire British car market. The share of electric vehicles in UK sales has remained broadly stable since August at around 40%.
Across Europe, electric vehicle sales rose 62% month over month as buyers returned after the summer slowdown. As of September, the region has sold 3.9 million electric vehicles, up 30% year over year.
North America’s 44% drop needs some context
North America went the opposite direction. Electric vehicle sales in September fell 44% year-over-year to around 130,000, the region’s steepest percentage drop in 2026. Sales also fell 8% from August.
But that headline figure comes with a big caveat. September 2025 was the last month before the US $7,500 federal EV tax credit expired, so buyers rushed to purchase EVs before the deadline. This September is being compared to that month of great sales.
However, that does not erase the region’s struggles. Electric vehicle sales in North America totaled 1.2 million through September, down 24% from a year earlier. But Benchmark warns against interpreting September’s percentage as a new, sudden collapse in demand.
“Starting in the fourth quarter, the comparison will be made to the months immediately following the credit removal, when U.S. EV sales collapsed, so the year-over-year picture should improve markedly,” said Charles Lester, data manager at Benchmark.
In other words, minor declines later this year won’t necessarily mean sales have recovered; the comparison will simply be less marked.
Chinese automakers look abroad
China remains by far the largest market for electric vehicles, with 1.11 million sold in September. That’s a 7% increase from August, but an 18% decline year over year, a deeper drop than August’s 11% drop.
Through September, sales of electric vehicles in China amounted to 8.1 million, down 13%. PHEVs account for much of that weakness: Their sales are down 25% this year, compared with a 6% drop for BEVs.
Sales of gas cars in China fell 43% year-on-year to 534,000 units in September 2026, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). So falling EV sales don’t mean drivers are buying gas-powered cars.
Chinese automakers have kept production steady and shipped more vehicles overseas. Passenger car exports in China’s new energy vehicle category hit a monthly record of 558,000 in September.
But two policy changes could make that export strategy more difficult next year. An EU-China deal, still subject to approval by member states, would limit imports of BEVs and PHEVs made in China to 350,000 in 2027. The four-year deal would increase the cap by 6% annually after its first year.
China will also reduce its export VAT rebate for new energy vehicles from 13% to 9% on April 1, 2027, reducing the tax rebate available to exporters.
The rest of the world continues to grow
Outside China, Europe and North America, electric vehicle sales in September rose 81% year over year, to around 310,000.
Those markets have purchased 2.3 million electric vehicles so far this year, an increase of 93%. This is almost double the North American total and a substantial source of growth.
Read more: Electric vehicle sales are booming in Europe and in free fall in North America
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