Global sales of electric cars weaken in Q1 2026

Global sales of electric cars weakened in the first quarter. In 43 key markets analysed by the consulting firm PwC, the number of electric cars sold was 1 per cent lower than in the same period in 2025, at just under 2.7 million.

This is unusual - in recent years, the figures have always shown significant growth, with an increase of almost a third in 2025 as a whole.

The development in China, by far the largest market, is decisive for the weak figures. At 1.32 million electric vehicles, PwC counted 20 per cent fewer there than a year ago. In the USA, the decline was even greater at 23 per cent to just under 233,000.

Growth in other parts of the world was unable to compensate for this development, even though sales in Europe - more precisely in the EU plus the UK, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland - rose by 26 percent to just under 724,000 cars. This was driven by strong sales in Germany and France, among others.

Despite the decline in absolute figures, however, electric cars have continued to gain in importance worldwide - partly because sales of pure combustion engines were significantly stronger, with a drop of 8 per cent.

According to PwC, the market share of electric cars was 16 per cent, higher than ever before in a first quarter.

WAM