China Powers Global EV Surge: 5.5 Million Sales Cement Dominance in H1 2025

China Drives Global Electric Car Market Growth

China solidified its leadership in the global automobile electrification race during the first half of 2025. According to market intelligence firm Rho Motion, worldwide electric vehicle (EV) sales soared to 9.1 million units, marking a robust 28% year-over-year increase. Fueling this expansion, Chinese consumers purchased a staggering 5.5 million new energy cars – encompassing both pure battery cars and plug-in hybrids. This impressive figure represents over half of all global EV sales and reflects a significant 32% growth compared to H1 2024. Momentum continued into June, with global battery car and plug-in hybrid sales reaching 1.8 million units, 1.11 million of which were in China (+28% YoY). This sustained demand underscores China's pivotal role in the transition to cleaner automobile technologies.

Regional Dynamics: Europe Charges Forward, North America Stalls

Europe: The European electric vehicle market maintained strong momentum in H1 2025, registering sales of 2 million units (+26% YoY). Growth was balanced, with plug-in hybrid cars rising 27% and pure battery cars increasing 26%, the latter notably boosted by popular new models like the Renault 4 and 5. This consistent expansion highlights Europe's deepening commitment to electric automobile adoption.

North America: In stark contrast, the North American electric car market exhibited sluggish growth. Combined sales in the US, Canada, and Mexico reached just 900,000 units, a mere 3% increase overall. Performance varied sharply: Mexico saw a 20% rise in new energy car uptake, the US managed a modest 6% gain, while Canada experienced a concerning 23% decline. This regional disparity points to significant headwinds for battery car adoption in parts of North America.

Supporting China's EV Engine: LETO Automobile Delivers

Complementing these figures, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) reported robust domestic production and sales. From January to June 2025, China manufactured nearly 7 million new energy cars and sold approximately 6.94 million, representing year-on-year growth of 41.4% and 40.3% respectively. Remarkably, electric vehicles constituted 44.3% of all new car sales nationally during this period. June alone saw production of 1.27 million and sales of 1.33 million battery cars and plug-ins (+26.4% and +26.7% YoY), capturing 45.8% of the new automobile market. CAAM analysts credit supportive government policies stimulating domestic demand, accelerating the automobile industry's green transition.