LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM / RankWire.AI / – In July 2026, global electric vehicle sales increased by 9% year on year, reaching a total of 1.85 million units. This rise contributed to a first seven months total of 11.5 million vehicles sold worldwide, representing a 4% growth compared to 2025. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence provided these latest statistics on Aug. 13, covering both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models. Notably, July marked the fifth consecutive month of annual growth in global EV demand after an initially sluggish start to 2026.
Among key markets, Europe saw the most significant expansion in July. Sales of electric vehicles in the region surged 33% from the previous year to approximately 450,000 units. During the first seven months of 2026, European EV sales grew by 28%. France experienced an 81% year-on-year increase in July, reaching a 37% EV penetration rate. Germany’s sales increased by 46%, while the United Kingdom recorded a 43% rise. Despite this growth, European EV sales in July were 17% lower than in June.
During the first half of 2026, battery-electric vehicles continued to expand their market share across Europe. Registrations hit 1.22 million units within the European Union, accounting for 20.7% of new car registrations, up from 15.6% during the same period last year. Plug-in hybrids contributed an additional 9.8% of registrations. Spain also 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 sales from the previous year to about 980,000 units in July. In the January to July period, Chinese EV sales were 12% below the same timeframe in 2025. Still, electric vehicles made up more than half of China’s total vehicle market during this period. Additionally, Chinese exports of new energy vehicles surpassed 500,000 units in July, marking another monthly record.
North American EV sales diverged from the European trend, dropping approximately 27% in July to around 140,000 units, a decline from the previous year. During the first seven months of 2026, sales were 18% lower than in the same period of 2025. Specifically, U.S. July EV volumes decreased by over 30% year on year, following the expiration of federal purchase tax credits in September 2025. In the second quarter, U.S. EV sales also declined by 15% compared to the previous year.
Distinct regional EV sales patterns emerge in July
Markets outside of China, Europe, and North America experienced the most rapid percentage growth in July, with electric vehicle sales rising 97% year on year to approximately 280,000 units. This contributed to the overall global volume, even though two of the three largest regional markets showed declines in annual sales. China still accounted for more than half of the global EV sales in July by volume, while Europe made up about a quarter, with North America remaining a considerably smaller segment of the worldwide electric vehicle market.
Data for the broader 2026 period indicates that electric vehicles are capturing an increasing share of overall car demand. According to the International Energy Agency, EVs represented 24% of global car sales during the first half. Sales of electric cars grew 4% year on year in the second quarter and increased 35% from the first quarter. Conversely, global car sales overall declined around 5% during the first half. Against this context, July’s 9% increase in EVs pushed the total global electric vehicle sales for 2026 to 11.5 million units.