Global EV Sales Fall 2% in Sep as Europe Growth Fails to Offset China, North America

Global electric vehicle (EV) sales reached 2.15 million units in September 2026, down 2% year over year but up 17% from August, according to the latest data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI).

Global EV sales totaled 15.5 million units in the first nine months of 2026, up 3% from the same period last year.

Europe set a new monthly sales record, but declines in China and North America offset part of the gains.

China remained the world’s largest single EV market. Sales reached approximately 1.11 million units in September, down 18% year over year but up 7% month over month, accounting for 51.6% of global sales.

China’s cumulative EV sales for the first nine months reached approximately 8.1 million units, down 13% year over year.

By powertrain, weakness in China was concentrated in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), whose sales fell 25% year over year in the first nine months.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) proved relatively resilient, with sales down 6%.

However, EV penetration in China’s passenger vehicle market remained high at 67%.

This partly stems from overall weakness in the auto market, with internal combustion engine vehicle sales also under significant pressure.

As domestic demand weakened, Chinese automakers continued to use exports to absorb production capacity. In September, China’s passenger NEV exports reached a record 558,000 units.

Export growth, however, faces new policy uncertainties. China and the EU have reached an understanding on trade arrangements for hybrid vehicles.

The EU expects the arrangement could reduce imports by more than half from its estimate of as many as 800,000 vehicles in 2026.

China, meanwhile, said the two sides had agreed to an upward adjustment based on the 302,000 hybrid vehicles imported from China in 2025.

China’s allocation will be no lower than that granted to any other source of imports by the EU.

Another policy change concerns export tax rebates. China will lower the value-added tax export rebate rate for NEVs from 13% to 9% effective April 1, 2027, putting further pressure on automakers’ overseas profit margins.

Europe presented a sharp contrast with China. EV sales in the region approached 600,000 units in September, up 39% year over year and 62% month over month. The total was 10% above the previous monthly record set in June.

Cumulative sales from January to September reached approximately 3.9 million units, up 30% year over year.

The UK, France, Spain, Portugal and Finland each recorded their highest monthly EV sales on record.

In the UK, EV sales rose more than 2.5-fold month over month, while sales in France and Germany increased 78% and 61% year over year, respectively.

North America continued to contract. EV sales in September totaled approximately 130,000 units, down 44% year over year, the steepest monthly decline so far this year.

Sales for the first nine months reached approximately 1.2 million units, down 24% year over year.

Part of the decline reflects an unusually strong comparison base: September 2025 was the final month before the expiration of the US federal EV tax credit, prompting consumers to bring purchases forward.

The year-over-year decline is expected to narrow in the fourth quarter as the comparison base becomes less demanding.

Outside the three major markets of China, Europe and North America, EV sales reached approximately 310,000 units in September, up 81% year over year.

Cumulative sales in these other markets totaled around 2.3 million units in the first nine months, an increase of 93% from the same period last year.