LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / RankWire.AI / – Global electric vehicle sales grew by 9% year on year in July 2026, reaching 1.85 million units. This rise contributed to an overall 4% increase in sales during the first seven months of the year, totaling 11.5 million vehicles. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence released these latest figures on Aug. 13. The data includes battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. July also marked the fifth straight month of annual growth in global EV demand after a sluggish start to 2026.
Among major EV markets, Europe experienced the most notable growth in July. Sales of electric vehicles in the region surged 33% compared to the previous year, reaching approximately 450,000 units. During the first seven months of 2026, sales increased by 28%. France saw an 81% annual rise in July and achieved a 37% EV penetration rate. Germany’s growth was 46%, while the United Kingdom reported a 43% increase. However, European EV sales in July were 17% lower than in June.
Battery-electric vehicles continued to expand their market share across Europe in the first half of 2026. Registrations in the European Union hit 1.22 million units, representing 20.7% of new car registrations. This is a significant increase from 15.6% during the same period last year. Plug-in hybrids made up an additional 9.8% of registrations. Spain launched its Auto+ electric vehicle subsidy program on Aug. 4, offering up to 4,500 euros for qualifying new electric passenger cars.
Europe dominates July growth, while China experiences a decline
Despite a 5% decline in July, China remains the world’s largest electric vehicle market by monthly volume, with sales around 980,000 units. From January through July, Chinese EV sales were 12% below the same period in 2025. Electric vehicles still accounted for over half of China’s vehicle market during this timeframe. Additionally, Chinese new energy vehicle exports surpassed 500,000 units in July, marking another record month.
In contrast to Europe, North American EV sales moved downward. The region registered approximately 140,000 EV sales in July, which is 27% less than a year earlier. For the first seven months of 2026, sales declined by 18%. The United States experienced a more significant drop, with July EV volumes falling over 30% year on year. This follows the expiration of federal purchase tax credits in September 2025. U.S. EV sales had already decreased 15% in the second quarter compared to the previous year.
Distinct regional trends shape the global EV market in July
Markets outside China, Europe, and North America saw the fastest percentage growth in July, with sales rising 97% year on year to roughly 280,000 units. This contributed to increasing overall global volumes, despite two of the three largest regional markets experiencing declines. China still represented more than half of the world’s EV sales by volume in July. Europe accounted for about a quarter, while North America remained a relatively small part of the global electric vehicle market.
Data for 2026 overall indicates that electric vehicles are capturing a larger portion of total vehicle demand. The International Energy Agency reported that EVs made up 24% of global car sales during the first half of the year. Sales of electric cars increased by 4% compared to the same period in 2025 during the second quarter, and the figure rose 35% from the first quarter. Meanwhile, global car sales overall dropped around 5% during the first half. Against this backdrop, July’s 9% increase in EV sales brought the total global electric vehicle sales for 2026 up to 11.5 million units.