Europe's BEV sales jump 49% in October as global EV market grows 8%

Global electric vehicle sales reached 2.09 million units in October, up 8% year on year, according to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. That brings the first-ten-month total to 17.5 million, up 5% from the same period in 2025.

Europe led the surge. The region sold 510,000 EVs in October, up 36% year on year. Battery electric vehicles did most of the work, with BEV sales rising 49% while plug-in hybrids grew 7%. Europe has now sold 4.5 million EVs in 2026, with October's growth outpacing the region's 31% year-to-date increase.

Germany's EV share topped 45% of new car sales, its highest since December 2022. Fully electric car sales in Germany rose almost 80% from a year earlier to more than 95,000 units. UK EV sales increased 30%, a figure Benchmark calls notable because the Electric Car Grant was already available in October 2025. Portugal saw EVs account for 55% of new car sales.

North American sales rose 24% year on year to 130,000 units in October — the region's first annual increase of 2026. US sales reached around 110,000 units. However, Benchmark data manager Charles Lester cautioned that October 2025 was the first month after the US federal EV tax credit expired, making the comparison favourable. "October is the first month compared against a period without the US federal tax credit, and the US market has stabilised at a lower level rather than recovered," Lester said. The year-to-date decline for North America narrowed to 21%, from 24% a month earlier; the region has sold 1.3 million EVs so far in 2026.

China sold 1.14 million EVs in October, up 5% from September but down 12% year on year — an improvement on September's 18% annual decline. Through October, China's total stands at 9.1 million, down 11%. Chinese passenger car exports of new energy vehicles reached nearly 600,000 in October, a monthly record. Those exports face headwinds: the EU has agreed to cap imports of Chinese-built hybrids, and China will cut its EV export VAT rebate from 13% to 9% from 1 April 2027.

Markets outside China, Europe and North America saw sales rise 85% year on year to 300,000 units in October, bringing their 2026 total to 2.6 million, up 93%.