- Global PV BEV growth fell in October to 14%, the lowest level so far in 2025, but still the second highest total of the year.
- China’s pause before the expected end-of-year NEV boom and US payback muted growth in the battery electric sector.
GlobalData’s monthly electrification market data update
Battery electric share of global passenger vehicle sales fell from a high point of 19.6% in September to 17.2% in October. Including light commercial vehicles (up to 6 tonnes GVW) results in figures of 17.7% and 15.5% respectively.
In October, BEV share of global passenger car sales dipped for only the second time in 2025 (excluding January’s distortion), but we don’t see this as a structural change. The US contribution will be at best flat in 2026 (and possibly much worse than that) but elsewhere we expect solid growth.
October saw the first 2025 decline in PHEV share driven by YoY contraction of that segment in China (where sales fell 25% YoY) as BEV continues to increase its share of that market’s NEV segment. There are some advanced plug-in hybrid powertrains coming in China that will aid PHEV recovery.
China’s October NEV (New Energy Vehicle) sales results were down on September’s highest result of 2025, but we can safely assume that November and December will bring new record sales for this vehicle type in China. Year-end sales targets will be actively chased by dealers and buyers will rush to benefit from incentives that will decrease or end in January, such as the reduction of the level of exemption from sales tax for NEVs (from 100% to 50%).
In Europe we are seeing a return to, or continuation of, a more incentivized environment for plug-in vehicles in several markets, including the major ones of Germany, France and the UK. From January 2026, all of the Big 5 markets will offer direct incentives to BEV buyers though less generously than peak values seen in the past.
The expected negative plug-in news in the US came to pass in October.
