Global EV sales hit new high

A record 1.7 million electric vehicles (EVs) were sold globally last month, eclipsing the previous high set in December 2023 by 150,000 units, according to new figures from research company Rho Motion.

The Chinese market helped drive the increase by selling 1.1m units in September to beat its previous monthly best, which was set in August, by 90,000 vehicles. 

Overall, 11.5m EVs were sold worldwide between January and September this year, an increase of 22 per cent from the same period of 2023.

China’s year-to-date tally for EV sales rose 35 per cent over the same time frame to 7.2m, while in the US and Canada numbers grew by 10 per cent to 1.3m.

Deliveries of electric models in Europe and the UK for the past nine months fell by four per cent to 2.2m, and the rest of world recorded 900,000 sales for a jump of 25 per cent.

Charles Lester, Rho Motion data manager, says the record-breaking month of EV sales will provide “new hope to the industry”. 

“While the electrification of transport seems inevitable, the recent slowdown of sales in many parts of the world has sewn seeds of doubt which can now start to be swept aside,” he explains. 

“However, the regional disparities are astonishing, with China alone accounting for well over half the global total, meanwhile Europe’s numbers are shrinking and the US and Canada are steadily growing.”

Europe and UK

Just over 300,00 EVs were sold in Europe and the UK in September as battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales increased by 12 per cent from the same month of 2023, but plug-in hybrid (PHEV) registrations fell by 12 per cent.

Rho Motion notes the Norwegian market continues to have high EV penetration rates, but the market in terms of volumes is down by four per cent year-to-date. 

The German market grew year-on-year by seven per cent in September, but year-to-date sales are down by 20 per cent.

China

After surpassing one million EV sales for the first time in August 2024, this feat was achieved once again last month with a record 1.1m units sold. 

Chinese manufacturers continue to grow their presence abroad with strong EV exports to other Asian countries and Latin America. 

US and Canada

North America’s market continues to grow and was bolstered by GM selling almost 10,000 electrified versions of its Chevrolet Equinox, pictured, in the third quarter of this year. It produced more than 40,000 such units in the opening eight months of the year.