Global electric vehicle registrations hit record 11 million

Global registrations of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) rose 12 percent in the first nine months of 2026 to a record 11 million, driven by strong growth in Europe, according to a study by consultancy PwC covering major markets.

Since the beginning of the year, 2.5 million electric cars have been sold in Europe, an increase of 42 percent compared to the previous year.

In Germany, new electric vehicle registrations surged 58 percent to 604,000, placing the country third worldwide and narrowing the gap with the second-largest market, the United States.

By contrast, BEV registrations in the United States fell 29 percent to around 746,000 in the first nine months of the year.

In China, the world's largest electric vehicle market, growth stalled, with registrations remaining at around 6 million BEVs, according to PwC.

WAM